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TAYLORSVILLE — A man frustrated by the suspension of his driver's license drove a recreational vehicle directly into the main entrance of the state Driver License Division headquarters and then shot himself Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Around 2 p.m., investigators saw the man drive into the building at 4501 S. Constitution Blvd. Utah Highway Patrol Col. Danny Fuhr said it appears the man had a self-inflicted gun shot wound, and he was transported to the hospital. The man was still alive as of about 3 p.m.
Witnesses said they heard a gunshot after the vehicle crashed into the building. Fuhr said the man's injuries were extreme.
The man's driver's license was recently suspended because of an arrest for DUI, according to Fuhr. The man appealed the suspension, but it was upheld a short time ago, the colonel said. He didn't immediately provide the man's criminal history or a precise timeline of his arrest and unsuccessful appeal.
"It looks like it was definitely a deliberate act," Fuhr said.
All of the employees evacuated the building and went home for the day, Fuhr said. None of them were injured.
Unified Police and Unified Fire responded to the scene to search for any explosives in the vehicle, but didn't find any.
Investigators planned to examine possible structural damage to the entrance of the building to ensure it was safe.
The incident also spurred a road closure at 4500 South and 2700 West, according to Utah Department of Transportation. Lanes closed in the area for a couple of hours and were opened just before 5 p.m.
Inside the government building is the Utah Department of Public Safety, the Utah Department of Transportation, the crime lab and the Driver's License Division.
Crisis Hotlines
- Utah County Crisis Line: 801-226-4433
- Salt Lake County/UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsputah.com
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Contributing: McKenzie Romero, Andrew Adams, Ben Lockhart
