Inset: Matthew Daines (LinkedIn/Matthew Daines). Background: The crash scene in Springville, Utah, where Matthew Daines “heroically” died protecting his newlywed wife from an alleged drunk driver (KSTU/YouTube).
A Utah man walking on a sidewalk with his wife, whom he had just married in July, was mowed down and killed by a drunk driver after the husband “heroically” pushed his spouse out of the way of the motorist”s truck — taking “the entire impact” of the vehicle, according to police officials.
Matthew Daines was identified Thursday evening by police officials as the man who saved his newlywed wife’s life on Wednesday night as they were walking down a street in Springville near 40 East 400 South. A Chevrolet Silverado pulling a trailer, which was allegedly driven by Travis McIntyre, “left the roadway” and came careening toward the couple, cops say.
“[Daines], walking next to his wife, saw the truck driving toward the both of them, and heroically pushed his wife out of the way,” the Springville Police Department said in a press release. “His wife is safe and unharmed thanks to his heroic actions.”
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Officers arrived on scene at around 8:40 p.m. and immediately initiated life-saving efforts until paramedics arrived. Daines was transported to a local hospital but “succumbed to his vast injuries,” according to police. “Officers observed odor of alcohol coming from the driver while on scene,” the press release says.
A DUI investigation began at the scene. McIntyre was found to be more than six times over the legal limit for alcohol, police said. Cops arrested him for vehicular homicide, DUI, and several other charges.
“No words can adequately express our sense of loss at the sudden and unexpected death of our son Matthew Daines,” the man’s family said in a statement posted on Facebook by Springville police.
“The event that took him from us and this Earth resulted from human error, but does not undermine the power and love of the Almighty, in whose wisdom we choose to trust,” the family said. “In our profoundly deep sorrow, we encourage no sense of retribution to anyone. We ask that all persons and parties not directly involved in this tragic matter respect our need for privacy while we deal with loss and necessary arrangements, going forward.”
State marriage records show that Daines and his wife, who is not being identified at the request of police and her family, received a marriage license on July 19.
A man who identified himself on Facebook as a “wrestling brother” of Daines — with multiple videos and photos of them together through his account — announced his death in a Thursday post.
