Early this morning, an accident occurred on northbound I-15 in Riverdale, UT.  An adult male driving an SUV reportedly lost control at 5:38 am. The car rolled four times, and finally stopped at an embankment north of Riverdale Road.

The Ogden-native driver died at the scene of the crash. Utah Highway Patrol has not yet been in touch with his relatives, and so his name has not been released.

Witnesses of the accident reported to UHP that there had been no signs of impairment on the driver’s part before he suddenly swerved off the road. UHP believes medical problems may have been a factor, as well as speed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a Medical Conditions and Driving packet to help drivers discover whether or not they are safe to drive with their medical condition.

The list of medical conditions that might prohibit your safety driving on the road are as follows:

• Visual conditions or diseases; anything that would hinder your vision.
• Cardiovascular diseases: especially if associated with cerebral ischemia.
• Cerebrovascular disease: a recent stroke, or the possibility of a stroke in the near future.
• Nervous System: narcolepsy or sleep apnea can be extremely dangerous.
• Respiratory diseases: any potential respiratory failure that could result in cognitive impairment
• Psychiatric Diseases: Schizophrenia, personality disorders, or chronic alcohol abuse.

• Medications: antidepressants, antihistamines, or drugs that have central nervous system effects (e.g. sedatives, hypnotics, benzodiazepines, or stimulants)

If you have any situations where your reaction time or cognitive senses are impaired, you should not be driving. For the safety of other vehicles, and also for yourself.

From Christensen & Hymas, keep yourself aware and safe out there on the roads.

Image courtesy of KSL News

In a story from KUTV, there was an impactful accident on the highway monday morning. A four-car crash caused delays on I-15 during the commuters’ rush hour.

Early in the mooring, a Honda Accord stalled in the second-to-right most lane on I-15 near the exit 2900 South. A Chevy Avail traveling closely behind the Accord attempted to swerve to avoid a crash. Another vehicle, a Ford Ranger pick-up truck rear-ended the first car. Then the Avail lost control, and hit a wall. A fourth car, a Blazer, hit the Ranger as he swerved across traffic lanes, ending in up in the HOV lane.

For a stretch of 3 exits on the highway, only two lanes were open for traffic to continue by. Utah Highway Patrol worked hard to clear the accident so traffic could start moving again.

Some of the people in the accident had minor injuries, but they all declined medical assistance or even attention.

These four drivers are very lucky to have sustained only minor injuries. Accidents involving multiple cars can be particularly dangerous. Multiple-car accidents usually occur in high traffic volumes, and high traffic speeds, because in these situations, if one car develops a problem, or suddenly stops/slows, the cars traveling behind may not have enough space or time to react and avoid hitting the car in front. This can cause an obviously dangerous chain reaction.

If you or a friend has been in a multiple-car accident, and have any questions concerning the legal implications of your accident, or how to proceed legally, call Utah Accident Attorneys at Christensen & Hymas for a FREE consultation: 801-506-0800.

Image courtesy of KUTV News

In West Valley City Monday morning, a man was arrested for stealing a car, and leading police on a chase.

The suspect’s name is not released as of yet. According to investigators, the man was in the stolen vehicle when the police began to pursue him near 4700 S and 4500 E. He fled from officers following.

He drove through neighborhoods, getting up to 45 mph, before driving the car that had been stolen onto a field, and continued to flee on foot.

The whole chase only lasted about 4 minutes, as West Valley Police Officers set up a containment, caught, and arrested the man very quickly.

Sgt. Jeff Konger thought that the man probably lived close by the area. He said, “He was probably going to walk home if we didn’t find him.”

There are no other warrants out for his arrest. He is currently in custody of the police until further action form the state is taken.

Grand theft auto, or motor vehicle theft is a common problem all over the world. But luckily the numbers are declining–in 2005 there were an estimated 1.2 million car thefts, and property losses due to grand theft auto were around $7.6 billion. The most recent statistic shows only 794,616 thefts in a year.

A small cautionary measure you can take to prevent your own car from being stolen might include installing a car alarm triggered if there is an attempted breaking and entry. Even installing a sign on windows that advertises a security system might be enough of a deterrent to a potential thief.

From Christensen & Hymas, we hope you keep you and your vehicles safe this season!

Image courtesy of ksl news

This past Monday, in Salt Lake City, thousands of commuters during a high-speed chase. The chase ended with the death of the suspect. Officers kept in constant communication via radio with the police dispatchers as they pursued suspect north on I-15.

The final confrontation ended with police fatally shooting 33-year-old Brett Max Knight. But traffic was still moving.

Police say that public safety is their top concern, officer safety comes second, and keeping citizens safe during a chase is difficult. Department of Public Safety spokesman said that they were concerned that Knight might have done something to put other people in danger; involve other cars in crashes.

Cars were moving southbound throughout the entire confrontation. Motorists were extremely close to the scene as the final deadly moments played out.

Police say it would have ben ideal to close lanes  but in that case it wasn’t possible. It happened so quickly. UDOT spokesman John Gleason said, “We can find out exactly what’s going on (with traffic) so that we can best notify the public with traffic safety alerts” but they cannot close roads or divert traffic, as that’s police jurisdiction.

A huge headache for the roughly 27,000 commuters into Davis County every night. The traffic jam lasted more than five hours because of the chase. Investigators are looking into ways to keep the public more safe, and improve traffic conditions during a chase.

Utah police are working hard to keep citizens protected. Drive knowing you are being watched over.

Image courtesy of ksl news