MAGNA–A man was seriously injured in a three vehicle crash that involved a fire truck, a pickup and a car. According to the report, the fire truck, with it’s lights and siren blaring, was traveling northbound to respond to a large pallet fire. The fire truck was approaching Highway 201 on 8000 West when it merged into the southbound lane to get around stopped northbound traffic when a northbound Ford F-150 pickup truck began making a U-turn in front of the fire truck. Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal disclosed that the fire truck hit the side of the pickup which caused the pickup to collide with a southbound tan Saturn that had pulled over for the emergency vehicle.
The driver of the pickup was identified as a male in his mid-30s that was taken by an ambulance to Intermountain Medical Center in serious condition. Lt. Justin Hoyal added that the occupants of the Saturn and the fire truck were uninjured.
Unified Fire Battalion Chief Clint Mecham stated that the fire truck crew were all wearing their seat belts as a safety precaution. He said that with the way the crew was positioned in the apparatus, plus the large window, they could easily be catapulted through the windshield without the restraint.
Mecham reminded all drivers to keep a safe distance and yield to emergency vehicles. Fire trucks need to respond timely to the emergency and you will be keeping them from performing their job if you do not yield.
The report added that Unified Police were on the scene to conduct an investigation of the crash and 800 West was closed for a couple of hours. The fire fighters ran a couple 1,000-foot water lines across the highway while it was closed to help them fight the fire.
The reason for the U-turn is still under investigation, and it is unsure if the driver of the pickup will face charges.
Christensen & Hymas encourages all motorists to yield to all emergency vehicles. If you have been injured because of someone else’s recklessness, call us at (801)506-0800 for a free consultation. You deserved to be compensated for all the pain and treatment costs because of the accident.
Original article by Celeste Tholen Rosenlof and Andrew Adams of ksl.com
Image courtesy of Wikimedia