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PARK CITY — A Utah Highway Patrol trooper is receiving recognition for possibly saving a woman from having her identity stolen.
On July 23, Brittany May was at the Phillips 66 gas station off Exit 141 near Park City. While filling up her gas tank, she was also texting a friend.
"I was really distracted," May said.
Without thinking, May put her wallet on the trunk of her car. Inside her wallet were her social security card, passport, license and credit cards.
Once her tank was full, she drove off, forgetting about her wallet. It wasn't until May got to Provo did she realize her wallet was missing.
"Did I put it on my car? Did I put it back in my bag?" May asked herself.
Minutes later, May got a call from UHP. The trooper on the other line, Neil Ekberg, said he was finishing a traffic stop when he saw the wallet fall from her car.
"I just saw papers and cards flying across the road over here," Ekberg said.
Ekberg stopped traffic and began picking up her receipts, credit cards and passport. However, one piece was still missing, her social security card. Ekberg found it about 300 yards away.
"I think I thanked him like a million times. It really was above and beyond," May said.
But Ekberg said he was just doing his job.
May and her family wrote a letter to Governor Herbert recognizing Trooper Ekberg for his work.
