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Driver seriously injured after truck went 40 feet down ravine spent hours stuck in vehicle

Posted at 2:21 PM, Oct 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-16 17:07:21-04
A rollover crash on State Route 40 near Strawberry Reservoir October 16, 2016. Image courtesy Utah Highway Patrol.

A rollover crash on State Route 40 near Strawberry Reservoir October 16, 2016. Image courtesy Utah Highway Patrol.

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — The driver of pickup truck who was seriously injured when the vehicle went 40 feet down a ravine was stuck inside the truck for about five hours before finding help.

According to the Utah Highway Patrol, dispatch received report around 5 a.m. of a crash on State Route 40 near mile marker 55 in the vicinity of Strawberry Reservoir.

The caller told dispatch they were flagged down by a pedestrian who said a Dodge pickup truck towing a boat had gone 40-feet down into a ravine and the driver was still inside the vehicle. UHP states the pedestrian who reported the incident was not involved in the crash.

By the time emergency crews arrived, both the caller and the pedestrian had left the scene. UHP tells Fox 13 News that people who are involved in accidents are required to remain at the scene, but there is no such requirement for reporting parties.

Troopers and medical personnel searched the area, where cell phone service is “spotty at best”, for more than two hours without finding the crash scene.

During the search, the driver and sole occupant of the truck managed to climb from the vehicle and up an embankment to wave down a passing vehicle.  Medical personnel reached the 41-year-old man around 7:10 a.m. He was flown to a hospital with serious injuries to his legs and back as  well as possible internal injuries.

Troopers say they spoke with the driver and suspect fatigue played a role in the crash, which they believe occurred around 2 a.m. when the driver went off the road.