The town of Green River stands united in mourning following the tragic death of Mayor Ren Hatt, who was killed in a car accident late Friday night. Mayor Hatt, aged 40, was hit by a semi truck that crossed into oncoming traffic on U.S. Highway 6. The crash, as reported by FOX 13, took place just before 9:45 p.m., eight miles west of Green River, when a semi heading westbound on the interstate drifted into the eastbound lanes, colliding with Hatt's Hyundai Palisade.
Following the incident, City Manager Edward Castro Bennett, a close friend, reflected on the void left by Hatt's passing. "For me, he was one of my best friends," Bennett expressed in a statement obtained by KUTV. "I haven’t even known him for a year and a half yet, but we talked every day. We talked yesterday. And that’s the hardest part of this." The loss reverberates through the community of about 900, where Hatt's impact as an educator and leader will be deeply missed.
Residents and students alike gathered to remember Hatt at Green River High School during a basketball game on Saturday. "We’re going to miss him a lot," student Jessica Norman told KSLTV, highlighting the profound influence the mayor had on his constituencies, not just through policy, but also on a deeply personal level. At the game, community members paid tribute by wearing beanies, mirroring the mayor's game-day tradition, a gesture embodying their collective grief and affection.
City council colleagues also shared their respects, citing Mayor Hatt's dedication and kindness. "He’s such a kind person and so smart," councilmember Larry Packer remarked in an interview with KSLTV. The mayor's absence is not only a professional blow but the loss of a trusted figure seen as a beacon of positivity and hard work in small-town politics.
