Friday a man and his wife were hit on the side of a Davis County road. The two were hit at the intersection of Mountain Road and Northridge Road in Fruit Heights. The Kaysville couple was in their 40s. The husband was declared dead while being transported to a hospital and his wife was last reported as being in critical condition.
There was a snowstorm at the time of the accident. Police officials said that the couple was on the side of the road, pulled over and standing outside of their car when an oncoming SUV hit their car and pinned Seegmiller.
Police said that the driver of the SUV couldn’t see the two outside of their car when they were hit.
Driving during extreme winter conditions can lead to decreased visibility, which can be the cause of many types of accidents. When you are driving during a snowstorm there are precautions you should take to help increase the safety of yourself, your family and those around you. Weather.com gives tips for driving safely in snow and ice covered roads.
“The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it. It’s helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you’re familiar with how your car handles. “
“Driving safely on icy roads”
1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
6. Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8. Don’t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind. Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
“If your rear wheels skid”
1. Take your foot off the accelerator.
2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they’re sliding right, steer right.
3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.
“If your front wheels skid”
1. Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don’t try to steer immediately.
2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in “drive” or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.
“If you get stuck”
1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
6.Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner’s manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you’re in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.