Syracuse man killed, teens pulled from fiery vehicle in Legacy Highway crash

CENTERVILLE, Utah – A violent head-on collision on the Legacy Parkway may have claimed more than one life, had Officer Shaun McWilliams with the Centerville Police Department taken the freeway to work.

The crash happened Friday morning on a route other than Officer’s McWilliams’ normal drive.

“I just happened to be there right time, right place,” Officer McWilliams said. “That is what we get paid to do to help out others in their time of need.”

Officials from the Utah Highway Patrol said the crash claimed the life of 37-year-old Hyrum Stoker of Syracuse.

Two 16-year-old boys in the other car, who troopers said caused the crash, were rescued by Officer McWilliams and other citizens who stopped to help, as their car burst into flames.

“Several other officers who arrived on scene tried to extinguish the flames with their fire extinguishers, but it didn’t do any good. It probably gave us a little more time to get them out, because at the end, the flames were getting a little too close for comfort,” McWilliams said.

Another Centerville officer, Marquelle Peters wasn’t far behind. The smoke from the crash was visible on her dash camera. She attended to the citizens who stepped in to help.

“We washed them down and put band-aids on their cuts and they told me thank you, which was nice because they were the ones who were helping out today,” Officer Peters said.

UHP investigators said the teens sustained serious to critical injuries. Their car was reported to have been driving recklessly before the collision.

Officer McWilliams was quick to credit the citizens who helped the teens, as time was running out.

“When I go home today I am going to feel awesome about the fact the people who didn’t know each other came together today and helped human beings out, to have citizens come to my aid like they did today, I can’t thank them enough,” he said.