Teen killed in I-15 accident identified as Layton resident

Teen killed in I-15 accident identified as Layton resident


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LAYTON — A 16-year-old Layton girl was killed in a four-car accident on I-15 Thursday that was reportedly caused by debris in the road.

Claire Kenyon was with her mother, Michele Kenyon, 48, both of Layton, just before 1 p.m. Thursday. They had gotten into an accident with two other vehicles and were pulled off to the right shoulder at Parrish Lane in Centerville.

Utah Highway Patrol investigators believe Claire was sitting in the car with the door open and was not wearing a seat belt, while her mother was outside exchanging information.

A northbound Land Rover driven by a 31-year-old West Jordan man hit a large piece of debris — a metal ramp about a foot high and 2 feet long, used primarily by people working on their cars — spun out of control and crashed into the pedestrians and parked vehicles.

The force of the collision caused Claire to be ejected from the vehicle. She was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead about 8 p.m. Two pedestrians suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

A witness who saw the ramp fall from a vehicle called police with a license plate number, UHP trooper Lawrence Hopper said. Officers contacted Paul Dannelly of South Jordan, who had no idea the ramp had fallen off on the freeway. Dannelly believed it was lost somewhere after he reached his destination, Hopper said.

"He's very shook up over what happened, knowing that he played a part in this young woman's death," Hopper said.

UHP will confer with prosecutors next week to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed, Hopper said.

Clarie had a fan page on Facebook, listing herself as a "comedian." Several friends had left messages on her page as of Friday, mourning her loss and paying tribute to her.

"We miss you Claire. You've lived your short life to the fullest — you've put an impact on a lot of people, and that's all that matters. You are never gone as we continue to spread your kindness and cuteness through us. You were such a gifted and amazing girl," one girl wrote.

"My prayers go out to the Kenyons. I'm unbelievably sorry for the devastation that you have endured," wrote another.

Another girl wrote on her Facebook page:, "R.I.P Claire! You were probably one of the sweetest girls in the world. We will all miss you!"

As of Friday, there was no word on funeral arrangements.

Related links

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Pat Reavy

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast