A Salt Lake man who was acquitted of murder earlier this year is still going to prison, after a judge sentenced him in March for firing at another driver during what prosecutors describe as a violent road rage showdown on State Route 201.
The October 7, 2024, crash left 50-year-old Jose Ramirez dead after both vehicles smashed into a concrete barrier on eastbound SR-201 near 1000 West, according to prosecutors. The judge credited the defendant with roughly a year and five months he had already spent in custody.
On March 3, 3rd District Judge Kara Pettit sentenced 46-year-old Thomas Jim Long to two terms of five years to life and nine terms of three to five years. Pettit said those sentences could run concurrently and gave Long credit for about a year and five months already served, a structure that means he will spend at least five years behind bars, according to KSL.
How prosecutors say the crash unfolded
According to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, the confrontation started when Ramirez's Dodge Ram merged onto eastbound SR-201 and Long accelerated ahead. Prosecutors say Long repeatedly cut Ramirez off and brake-checked him before both vehicles slammed into a concrete barrier near 1000 West.
The DA's release says Long then stepped out of his vehicle and "fired 15 rounds at J.R." from a distance of no more than three feet. An autopsy recovered eight bullets from Ramirez's body, and investigators did not find any weapon in Ramirez's truck. "Disputes on the road not only impact those involved, but they can also put other motorists in danger," District Attorney Sim Gill said in the release, as outlined by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
Trial and jury verdict
Long's trial began on January 8, and prosecutors rested their case that same day. On January 9, jurors deliberated for about seven hours before returning a not-guilty verdict on the murder charge. The court later imposed prison terms for the firearm convictions tied to the same incident, according to reporting by KSL.
Charges and legal footing
Charging documents filed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney list one count of first-degree murder, eight counts of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, and six counts of third-degree felony discharge, all under Utah Code 76-10-508.1. The long information document that spells out those counts is publicly available from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
Broader picture
The case landed in the middle of a string of violent confrontations on Utah roads last year. Ramirez's death was included in a Deseret News roundup of the state's 2024 homicide victims, which highlighted several shootings tied to arguments and road rage encounters. Law enforcement officials continue to urge drivers to back off, cool down and avoid chasing or confronting other motorists, warning that minor traffic dust-ups can turn deadly in seconds, as documented by Deseret News.
