By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News

At approximately 9:46 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, a collision between a Freightliner semi and a Hyundai Palisade resulted in the death of a 40-year-old man.

According to the Utah Highway Patrol, the incident occurred eight miles west of Green River at milepost 296, when the westbound Freightliner drifted into eastbound lanes “for an unknown reason.”

This resulted in the semi striking the front-passenger side of the eastbound Hyundai, forcing it to come to rest on the right side of the eastbound lanes. The Freightliner veered back and came to a stop on the right of the westbound lanes.

The collision killed the 40-year-old driver of the Hyundai, who has been revealed as Ren Hatt, the mayor of Green River and a teacher at Green River High School.

The driver of the Freightliner was uninjured.

Mayor Hatt was known for his love for Green River, dedicating countless hours to bettering the city. His passion extended to his citizens, of whom he met consistently during his biweekly office hours.

Hatt had received national recognition for his work while in office, earning the opportunity in June to speak at Harvard University on what it takes to lead a rural community.

“Mayor Hatt loved this community deeply, and he served it with honesty, kindness, and unwavering commitment. We are grieving alongside his family, friends, and all who knew him,” shared Green River City in a social media post. “For now, we ask everyone to hold his family in their thoughts during this difficult time.”

According to the UHP,” The investigation is ongoing. Impairment is not suspected.”

The driver’s identity has not yet been released to the public.