Wednesday morning began with a crash on I-15 and ended with a total of five accidents in 21 minutes.
The first two crashes of the morning occurred at 7a.m. involving a semi-trailer rig and several cars heading northbound on the I-15 near 7200 South. The next involved at least three other cars on an interchange from the northbound I-15 to the westbound I-215. Neither accident involved fatalities.
Traffic was left at a standstill after these two accidents and Utah Highway Patrol Corporal Todd Johnson said that he believes this gridlock is what caused the next three accidents.
The first of the three accidents was another three-car-crash at 7:14 a.m. at 10600 South and northbound I-15. Two minutes later at 7:16 a.m. on the northbound I-15 near 7200 South, a four-car-crash occurred. The final accident of the morning was a two-car crash at 7:21 a.m. and was also on the northbound I-15, near 80th South.
Johnson said that he had not heard of anyone involved in any of the crashes having to be taken to hospitals for their injuries.
In a situation like this when accidents cause a change in traffic flow it is important to be even more aware of your surroundings. Your driving needs to adapt to the situation around you. Even if it is rush hour there is no good that will come from continuing to try and drive at high speeds.
Distracted driving is also a heightened issue when accidents have occurred. Speeds will increase and decrease often and quickly and if you are not paying attention you could be the next victim or cause of a car accident. Distracted driving includes changing your speed or taking your eyes off of the road to observe the accident that has happened. This decreases the flow of traffic and causes sudden stops and it also makes you less aware of the cars around you.
Car accidents are a time of nerves and hassle, especially when they occur on a highway at high speeds. It can be confusing trying to sort out the long list of things to do once you have been involved in a car accident. There’s an app for that. The Christensen Law Firm and the American Lawyer Academy have launched a new free application for the iphone called the Car Accident Sidekick.
With this app you will have access to:
• A step-by-step Accident Tip Checklist
• One-touch police dispatch and emergency center locator
• Easy completion of accident report forms with on-the-scene photo and audio recording capabilities
• Real-time, GPS-enabled “Best Attorney” locator
• One-touch insurance claims filing
• One-touch access to tow trucks and taxis
• A built-in flashlight function
The application also has a function that allows you to file an insurance claim with the touch of a button and research a database of specially picked personal injury attorneys in each state. So, regardless of the state you are in when a car accident happens, qualified professional help is at your fingertips. For more information or for a free consultation call us today at 801.506.0800 to find out what options are available to you.