Share and Follow
CEDAR CITY, Utah (KTVX) On Jan. 17, a 17-year-old girl was driving in southern Utah when she was chased down by another driver and fatally shot. Family members have since identified the victim as Kaylee Dutton.
affiliate KTVX sat down with her parents, Kimberlee and Waylon Dutton, and spoke about what her loss means to them.
“She’s my baby,” Kimberlee Dutton, Kaylee’s mother, said. “Our whole life was just … just gone. It’s not the same.”
On Friday night, Kaylee was driving home with some friends. Authorities said another vehicle pulled alongside her truck and opened fire, shooting 12 rounds at her vehicle and striking her. Her car went off the road and crashed into a vinyl fence before coming to a stop.
Despite lifesaving efforts at the scene, Kaylee died from her injuries.
“We didn’t even know she had been hit,” Kimberlee said. “We got out there, and they told us that she was in the ambulance, and … I just ran up to the ambulance, and they came out and they said that they were doing everything they could … and my heart just sank.”
Kimberlee said “no one can fill [Kaylee’s] shoes.” Waylon told KTVX that Kaylee was strong, and he was hoping she would make it.
“All I could think is just hold her mom, you know, just hold her so tight,” Waylon said. “I just prayed, I just prayed that she’d pull through. Even though he said it didn’t look good … I just still prayed.”
Kimberlee and Waylon said they are still adjusting to the loss of Kaylee, and they keep thinking she’ll come back.
“We just keep thinking, maybe she’s out on a ride …” Kimberlee said. “It just doesn’t feel real. And she deserves so much better than that.”
On Jan. 18, four men were arrested in connection to the incident, with two of the men facing charges of first-degree murder, among other charges. The other two suspects are not facing murder charges, as they told police they were not in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.