According to Deseret News, a woman and two other people were ejected from a pickup truck that rolled off Pondtown Road and down a 150-foot embankment near Scofield State Park on July 7.
The other passenger, identified as Alvin Carter, 27, of Magna, was flown from the scene of the accident by a medical helicopter to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. According to Carbon County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Tom Stefanoff , Carter was released from the hospital last Wednesday. The third person was taken by a private vehicle to an undisclosed hospital before the deputies arrived.
Authorities reported that alcohol was a factor in the crash and they suspect that the three occupants of the pickup truck were not wearing seat belts.
Investigators in Carbon County say they are still trying to track down the third unknown person. They are also trying to establish who was behind the wheel when the accident happened.
The woman who died was just 22 years old. This brings to mind the concerns of the increasing rate of car accidents involving young people. This age group has high incidences of distracted driving and not buckling up.
According to Utah Safety Council, as of 2011, drivers aged 15-24 years are:
- involved in 21,410 motor vehicle crashes, which resulted in 10,000 injured persons and 63 deaths.
- Represented 18% of the licensed drivers in Utah, yet they are involved in nearly one-half (41%) or all motor vehicle crashes.
- 1.8 times more likely to be in a crash than drivers of other ages.
- involved in a crash in Utah every 24 minutes.
Moreover, Utah Safety Council found out that in 15-24 year-old drivers, crashes involved:
- Following too closely (21%)
- Failure to yield right of way (16%)
- Speeding too fast (11%)
- Failure to keep in proper lane (10%)
- Driver distraction (9%)
The council also added that fatal 15-24 year-old driver crashes resulted from:
- Driving under the influence (31%)
- Speeding too fast (29%)
- Failure to keep in proper lane (28%)
- Overcorrection(19%)
- Driver distraction (10%)
Christensen & Hymas sympathizes with the family and urges everyone to stay safe on the road. Please do not forget to buckle up.
Original article by Geoff Liesik.
Photo courtesy of Rick Hall.