According to a recent report, a quick moving snow storm produced icy roads in less than an hour and was likely the reason behind eight pileups occurring on a mile stretch of I-15 in Box Elder County. The report added that the crashes that happened Saturday morning involved 29 cars and 3 semi trucks.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Lee Perry stated that as many as eight people sustained injuries in the crashes. The extent of their injuries however was not as serious as the injury sustained by one woman motorist. Perry added that the woman riding in a compact car suffered critical injuries in the multiple car crashes and was taken to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden.
The report disclosed that the string of collisions forced the closure of northbound I-15 from Perry to the 1100 South exit in Brigham City. Police diverted traffic to U.S. 89 until the thoroughfare was passable.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Lee Perry stated that motorists were traveling too fast for conditions on the icy roadway. The first accident was reported to have occurred at around 9 a.m. as a couple of cars attempted to exit the interstate and crashed. The report added that as other vehicles attempted to avoid the first collision, they also spun out of control. This resulted in a series of collisions and pileups involving six cars in one accident and five cars in another accident. One semi was reported to have jack-knifed.
Christensen & Hymas reminds all motorists to take extra precaution on icy roads. Avoid distracted driving as you need to focus your attention to these hazardous road conditions brought by the weather. Avoid driving under the influence as well since this may cloud your judgment and negatively affect your driving skills.
Christensen & Hymas offers free initial consultation on personal injury claims. If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone’s reckless driving behavior, you may be entitled to compensation. Call us at (801)-506-0800 to get in touch with our competent personal injury lawyers. They are happy to clarify any concerns you might have on compensation claims. It is expensive to have treatments for accident injuries and you need time to recover properly. It is best to get assistance from a committed lawyer to help you process your claim properly and receive financial relief.
Original article by Amy Joi O’Donoghue of Deseret News
Image courtesy of Lisa Williams on Flickr.