TREMONTON, UT — A Box Elder County sheriff is facing questions about his driving after a crash near the mouth of Ogden Canyon left a young woman on a motorcycle with critical injuries this week.
The collision involving Sheriff Kevin Potter has drawn attention not only because of the seriousness of the crash, but also because a northern Utah rancher says he had a troubling encounter with Potter months earlier and later reported what he believed was unsafe driving on Interstate 15.
That earlier account led to a Utah Highway Patrol investigation, according to the rancher, James Knight. Knight said the sheriff appeared unsteady and was slurring his speech before driving away. Authorities have not publicly detailed what, if anything, came of that inquiry.
Rancher says he saw Potter drifting on Interstate 15 after a property dispute
Knight said the concerns began in January, after Potter and his truck were on his property. Knight said he asked the sheriff not to park there, and the exchange turned tense.
“He just jumped my case,” Knight said, describing the confrontation. “Kind of said he was the sheriff and he could do what he wants.”
Knight said he later saw Potter’s truck drifting onto rumble strips on Interstate 15 near Tremonton. Both men eventually stopped after taking a ramp and getting out of their trucks, Knight said. He said he tried to apologize for the earlier argument, while Potter seemed to think he was being followed.
Knight said Potter seemed “wobbly” and appeared to be slurring his speech. When asked whether he thought the sheriff was impaired, Knight said he believed it might have been a medical issue and wanted to help him. Potter then got back into his vehicle and drove off, Knight said.
911 call prompted a Highway Patrol investigation months before the crash
Knight said he called 911 after Potter left, and the incident drew a Utah Highway Patrol investigation. In a phone conversation with an investigator, Potter said he had not been impaired, according to records referenced in the reporting.
Those records also indicate Potter declined to be interviewed at his home, meaning investigators did not have a face-to-face meeting with him. No additional details were provided publicly about whether the episode led to any formal action.
The timing of that account has become relevant again because it adds to scrutiny surrounding Potter’s driving after the Ogden Canyon crash. Knight said the latest incident was disturbing to hear about, especially given what he says happened earlier in the year.
Potter has since taken voluntary leave following the canyon crash, according to related reporting from 2News.
Ogden Canyon crash left a motorcyclist critically injured
The crash happened near the mouth of Ogden Canyon, where Potter was driving a vehicle that struck a young woman on a motorcycle. She was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, according to the report from KUTV.
Police have not publicly said what caused the collision. The Ogden Police Department is investigating the crash and has not answered questions about whether Potter was tested for impairment, what kind of test may have been used, or what the results were.
Officials also have not said why a test may not have been done if one was not administered. That leaves several key questions unanswered as the investigation continues.
What police did confirm was that Potter stayed at the scene after the collision. They have not released further details about the sequence of events leading up to the impact.
Police say they hope for the injured rider’s recovery
The Ogden Police Department said its thoughts are with the injured motorcyclist and that investigators are “hopeful for her recovery.” Police did not provide an update on her condition in response to a request for more information.
That limited public disclosure means the woman’s current medical status remains unclear. Her injuries were described as critical after the crash, but officials have not said whether her condition has changed since then.
The sheriff’s role in the crash has intensified public attention because he is a county law enforcement leader. Still, investigators have not announced any findings about impairment or fault.
For now, the case remains focused on the crash itself, the woman who was badly hurt, and the earlier episode that Knight says made the latest allegations especially hard to hear.
Questions remain about tests, timing and any connection between the two incidents
The biggest unanswered questions center on whether Potter was checked for impairment after the Ogden Canyon crash and whether officers found anything that could explain the collision. Police have not said if they gave him a blood alcohol test, a field sobriety test, both, or neither.
There is also no public explanation for what, if anything, investigators concluded from the earlier Interstate 15 encounter near Tremonton. Knight’s account describes separate incidents, but police have not said whether they are connected in any way.
Until investigators release more information, the public record remains limited to the accounts of Knight, the brief police comments, and the fact that a young motorcyclist was left with critical injuries after the canyon crash.
The case now sits at the intersection of a serious traffic collision and prior concerns about one local sheriff’s driving, with official answers still pending.
