Six people have died in five different crashes on Utah highways this weekend.
"These are tragic and have involved horrible circumstances. As we finish this travel weekend please watch your speed, buckle up, avoid distractions, and be safe," Utah Highway Patrol Col. Michael Rapich tweeted.
The first in this rash of fatal accidents occurred around Saturday around 1 a.m. when a suspected drunk driver took his pickup truck the wrong way on I-15 in the Salt Lake area. He collided head-on with a smaller car, killing 26-year-old Angelica Gabrielle Jimenez Dhondup. She was on her way home after celebrating her marriage on Friday. The wrong-way driver was arrested on several criminal counts ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
Later that day, another person died in a single-vehicle rollover in Sevier County. Utah Highway Patrol says the Dodge Durango was headed west on I-70 near Salina when it went off the right side of the road and rolled multiple times. The female driver — who was wearing a seat belt — died at the scene from her injuries. A man who was a passenger in the vehicle walked back to the freeway to flag down help. He was then taken to a hospital in serious condition. Impairment is being investigated as a possible contributor to the crash, and UHP is still trying to determine what time the accident occurred. The victim has not been publicly identified at this time.
Around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, a motorcyclist riding with a group was killed when he went off the side of I-84. The 67-year-old man, whose name was also not yet released, was eastbound on the freeway near Mountain Green, Morgan County. He failed to stay on the road as it curved right and crashed into the cable barrier on the left side. He was taken to a local hospital but died after undergoing surgery.
Two more people died after a head-on crash Saturday night on U.S. Highway 6. The crash near Spanish Fork killed both occupants of one car, and the two people in the other car were injured. They were in serious condition, but not life-threatening. The deceased victims' names have also not been released yet.
The fifth fatal accident and sixth death occurred Sunday morning in southern Utah. UHP says the driver of a Chevrolet Cruze was northbound on I-15 near New Harmony when he fell asleep at the wheel. He drifted to the right and hit the rear tires of a semitrailer, which made the car lose control and come to rest in the middle of the freeway. Another semi-truck slowed down to avoid hitting it, and a Nissan Rogue rear-ended the trailer after failing to slow down enough. The Nissan's driver was killed on impact, UHP said, and the passenger was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
