A 51-year-old Idaho man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for ramming his truck into a U.S. Park Rangers' patrol vehicle and nearly striking one of the officers during a chaotic traffic stop near Lake Powell last year. Gregory Aaron Farley, of Hazelton, Idaho, pleaded guilty on December 1, 2025, to assaulting a U.S. employee with a deadly weapon after the confrontation unfolded on Highway 89 near Lone Rock Beach.
According to KUTV, park rangers conducted the traffic stop on Farley on May 3, 2025, inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. During the stop, Farley rammed his truck into the driver's side of the ranger's vehicle, an impact that deployed the vehicle's airbags and pushed it onto the shoulder of the road, KUTV reports. He then nearly hit one of the rangers before fleeing the scene, prompting a pursuit.
Federal court filings and a May 13 news release add further detail to the confrontation, including that officers fired after Farley rammed their patrol vehicle, reversed his pickup truck, and remained facing them during the pursuit. The ramming disabled their driver-side door, and officers fired, according to the outlet.
Rangers Had Crossed Paths With Farley the Day Before
The charging documents also show that one of the rangers involved in the stop recognized Farley from an interaction just the day before, on May 2, 2025, according to a filing in U.S. District Court. Bodycam audio documented the ranger referencing that previous encounter as the traffic stop began, the filing indicates.
The pursuit and collision unfolded on Highway 89 near Lone Rock Beach. Following the shooting and collision, Farley was transported to Page Hospital in Page, Arizona, for treatment of a gunshot wound and collision injuries. The rangers were treated at a hospital for minor injuries.
Zero Tolerance and a Federal Crackdown
The complaint identifies an FBI investigator and references communications with law-enforcement officials. U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah said her office maintains what she called “zero tolerance for attacks on law enforcement,” adding that the case underscores the daily dangers park rangers face in the line of duty, per the Justice Department's statement.
The case proceeded in federal court. As part of his sentence, Farley was ordered to serve six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, KUTV reports.
Ramming a Federal Vehicle Carries Steep Penalties
Under 18 U.S.C. § 111(b), forcibly assaulting a federal officer or employee with a deadly or dangerous weapon — including a motor vehicle — carries a statutory maximum of up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. In this case, the truck was used to strike the patrol vehicle.
The case highlights a broader safety challenge facing officers who patrol Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which spans more than 1.25 million acres across Utah and Arizona and recorded more than 4.7 million recreation visits in 2024, according to the National Park Service. Federal land-management officers can face threats ranging from verbal threats to attempted murder while patrolling isolated public lands.
