Cory Wride honored and remembered in Eagle Mountain on Thursday
Thursday marks 11 years since Sgt. Cory B. Wride was killed in the line of duty while serving with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office Eagle Mountain division, a sacrifice that continues to be honored by his colleagues and the community.
Wride had stopped to check on a pulled-over pickup truck on SR-73 between Eagle Mountain and Cedar Fort when he was shot by 27-year-old Jose Angel Garcia Jauregui. Wride eventually died from his injuries. Jauregui also died following a high-speed chase and shootout with law enforcement.
“It means so much to us that Eagle Mountain continues to recognize the sacrifice that Sgt. Cory Wride made 11 years ago,” said Sgt. Max Morgan of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. “One of the things family and friends fear the most is that their loved one will be forgotten and not talked about or remembered. Eagle Mountain has shown they will never forget Sgt. Cory Wride. This means so much to the family and Sheriff’s Office.”
Since his death, Wride has been hailed as a hero by the UCSO and many communities around the state, especially in Eagle Mountain.
“My hope is that Cory is remembered as a family man who loved his family and was so proud of them and for his love for the city of Eagle Mountain and its citizens. Cory loved working in Eagle Mountain,” Morgan said.
Only a few months after his death, the state renamed SR-73, the road where he was killed in the line of duty, as Cory B. Wride Memorial Highway.
In 2018, Eagle Mountain City also opened Cory B. Wride Memorial Park, located near the Overland neighborhood.
Also along SR-73, near the location where Wride was killed, is the Cory B. Wride memorial, which proudly displays two American flags along with Wride’s name and badge number.
Each year on the anniversary of his death, the UCSO honors Wride with a moment of silence at the site of the memorial. Deputies not in attendance also participate via radio on the signal from dispatch.
“What I will remember most about Cory is his ethics,” Morgan said. “He was the most upstanding man—he did things for the right reason no matter what. Cory was huge on correct grammar. He was quiet but very funny when you got him to open up.”
Morgan and Sgt. Garrett Dutson, help organize the memorial each year on Jan. 30.
A memorial case in honor of Wride is displayed in the office of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office Eagle Mountain division at Eagle Mountain City Hall.
“I believe the importance of continuing to honor him is for the citizens of Eagle Mountain to learn who Cory was,” Morgan said. “As the city continues to grow, there are more and more people who never knew Cory. There are citizens who don’t know who this person is that the park and highway are named after. Our hope is that everyone knows who Cory Wride is and was, learns about his life, and appreciates and respects his sacrifice.”
Morgan also wants residents to know about the commitment of the Sheriff’s Office in Eagle Mountain.
“I want the citizens to know that the Sheriff’s Office loves being in Eagle Mountain. We are here to keep the schools and citizens safe and want the very best for the city of Eagle Mountain,” says Morgan.