Driver kills man in fit of road rage, then laughs on 911 call, Utah officials say

A driver accused of fatally shooting a man in Utah in a fit of road rage has been charged, officials said.

On Oct. 7, Thomas Jim Long was driving on the highway when a pickup truck driver merged in front of him, according to an Oct. 17 news release by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

Long sped up and got ahead of the driver, then cut him off, officials said.

The two went back and forth until they crashed into a concrete barrier, officials said.

After the crash, Long got out of his car and fired 15 rounds at the other driver from no more than three feet away, prosecutors said.

That’s when Long called 911 to report the crash, officials said.

When the dispatcher asked Long if anyone was hurt he replied “uh he is” and “um a lot” before laughing, prosecutors said.

When the dispatcher asked Long where the man was injured, he said he wasn’t going to go near him and that the man was pulling something from his waistband causing Long to shoot, officials said.

The autopsy revealed that the victim, who did not have any weapons on him, was shot eight times, officials said.

The man had been shot in the shoulder, jaw, neck and head, according to court documents.

Long was charged with murder and discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, officials said.

This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Driver kills man in fit of road rage, then laughs on 911 call, Utah officials say."