Springville mourns heroic husband killed in suspected DUI crash

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Matthew Daines, 25, died saving his wife from a suspected DUI crash.
Driver Travis McIntyre's blood-alcohol level was six times the legal limit, according to police.
Daines is remembered as a hero by the grieving Springville community.

SPRINGVILLE — A community is grieving after 25-year-old Matthew Daines was tragically killed by a suspected drunken driver in an incident that has left friends, family and fellow athletes reeling.

Late Wednesday, Daines and his new bride Andrea were walking along a sidewalk near 400 S. Main in Springville when a Chevrolet Silverado, which police say was driven by 41-year-old Travis McIntyre, veered off the road toward them. In a final act of bravery, witnesses said Daines pushed his wife out of harm's way, taking the full impact of the vehicle himself.

Craig Miner, a longtime friend and wrestling coach who met Daines through the BYU wrestling program, described the young man as "an example to our wrestlers" and "a hero in many respects."

Miner had hosted the newlywed couple for dinner just days before the crash and said the news was "almost unbearable."

"Matthew was a great young man," Miner said. "If anything, his character lifted him far and above everything that I would hope to be."

The couple had been married just weeks earlier, and Miner shared that they were excited to begin their life together. That dream was shattered in an instant.

Matthew Daines and Craig Miner are shown in this undated photo. Daines was killed in a suspected DUI crash after heroically saving his wife on Sept. 3, in Springville. (Photo: Craig Miner)

A GoFundMe* campaign says Daines "demonstrated his God-given gift of being a protector. A protector is always who he has been.

"Matthew eagerly embraced life with unmatched earnest. He enjoyed working hard. And he was so happy. That happiness was contagious. Matthew only spoke positively of other people and he truly had no guile. There are certain kinds of men that inspire goodness in others. Matthew was that man. This sudden loss of such a remarkable human being has left us in unimaginable grief."

The fundraising site adds, "We appreciate your desire to ease the burdens on Andrea as she navigates this loss."

Investigators said McIntyre's blood alcohol level was six times the legal limit at the time of the crash. He was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of automobile homicide, two counts of having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle, negligently operating a vehicle resulting in injury, reckless driving, DUI, driving on a denied license, causing a crash with property damage, and two traffic violations.

As the investigation continues, the Springville community is left to honor the memory of a man whose final act was one of selfless love. Daines is being remembered as a devoted husband and respected athlete, but also as a hero.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Debbie Worthen

Debbie Worthen brings nearly two decades of award-winning journalism experience to the KSL Newsroom and is thrilled be working for Utah’s legacy news organization. She anchors KSL 5 News at 4 and Live at 5 with Mike Headrick and reports for KSL 5 News at 10pm. There are countless things Debbie enjoys about working in local news, but storytelling is at the top of the list. Whether it’s meeting the remarkable people of Utah as they do amazing things, informing viewers of critical breaking news and issues that impact their communities or reporting on daily assignments like weather and traffic, Debbie is honored to be the one trusted to tell Utahn’s stories. She believes journalistic integrity and a commitment to accuracy have never been more important than they are now. Debbie started her career as a writer, producer and traffic reporter while finishing her communications degree at The University of Utah before making the jump to a full-time on-air position. (Although you could say she caught the news “bug” at KOLT-News at Cottonwood High School.) After several moves across the country, Debbie and her husband, Brandon Gilbert, moved to Utah to start their family. They love everything Utah has to offer and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Outside the office, Debbie and her family are advocates for at-risk youth and have fostered several children through Utah Foster Care. As a family they enjoy movie nights in the basement, trying new recipes and, a few times a year, traveling to exotic locations!