Federal government employee caught driving recklessly


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WASATCH COUNTY — Cell phone video shot by an unnamed source captured a federal government employee driving erratically.

The incident occurred on SR-189 near Deer Creek Reservoir on Thursday. The video also shows the driver holding a cell phone while navigating the winding road.

“When you see something like this, that’s disturbing as federal servants or as public servants,” said Marlon Duke, public affairs officer for the U.S. Department of Interior - Bureau of Reclamation.

Duke viewed the video and called it “disappointing” and “scary” when he saw a government-issued vehicle being driven recklessly by someone in his department.

The video shows the driver on one instance crossing over the double yellow line of the road, narrowly dodging a head-on collision.

On five more occasions, the driver crosses over the traffic line, closing in on the snow-covered narrow shoulder.

“That’s obviously unsafe,” Duke said.

Cell phone video shot by an unnamed source captured a federal government employee driving erratically on SR-189 near Deer Creek Reservoir. (Courtesy photo)
Cell phone video shot by an unnamed source captured a federal government employee driving erratically on SR-189 near Deer Creek Reservoir. (Courtesy photo)

Duke said federal employees are held to a higher standard and that employees go through proper training to operate government vehicles. Per policy, texting and driving or distracted driving is not tolerated.

“(It’s) something we drive home pretty hard,” Duke said.

A public servant putting the public at risk is unacceptable, and Duke said the proper punishment will be given.

“We will be verifying who checked out the vehicle and we will be taking action to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Under state law, manipulating a mobile phone while driving is illegal.

The person KSL obtained the video from chose to remain anonymous. However, that individual is also at fault for filming while driving, according to police.

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