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SALT LAKE COUNTY -- A snowstorm blew across Utah Tuesday, delivering devilish driving conditions for most of the day.
Utah Highway Patrol says there were 208 crashes in just Salt Lake and Utah counties Tuesday. Forty-four people were injured in those crashes and one woman was killed. While some of them may not be avoidable, there are some steps you can take in the minutes following a crash to make sure a bad situation doesn't get worse.
Woman killed; UHP issues warnings about helping in an accident
First, troopers say stay in your car if possible. It's protection between you and traffic. Call 911 and, if you can, move your vehicle off the freeway.
"The highway patrol can investigate a crash off the freeway. You don't have to leave it in place," says UHP Sgt. Jeff Nigbur.
Officials are also issuing warnings if you decide to stop to assist at an accident. This, after a 30-year-old woman was killed while trying to help those involved in a rollover accident on Interstate 80 Tuesday morning.
The accident happened on westbound I-80 and 1600 West. A vehicle rolled on the slick surface, and several motorists jumped out of their cars to help.
UHP Sgt. Robert Breck says, "As one of the people stopped to help got out of her vehicle, another vehicle slid into the back of her vehicle, crushing her between his truck and her car."
The woman died on impact; people involved in the rollover received minor injuries.
Troopers say this incident shouldn't prevent motorists from assisting others, but it should serve as a reminder that they need to be careful.
Troopers suggest a few things you should do to not put yourself in danger:
- Be aware of your surroundings and what you're getting into
- Pull up in front of the accident instead of behind
- Have your emergency flashers on
- If emergency crews are already at the scene, move on and move over. Move your vehicle into a far lane to protect those working on the road.
Weather causes delays, accidents across Wasatch Front
In addition to the fatal accident on I-80, light snow and cold temperatures made roads icy and dangerous in other spots. Multiple accidents were reported from Davis County to the Point of the Mountain.
Eric Sin was driving downtown when he hit an icy patch on the 600 South off-ramp of Interstate 15.
"My car started going toward the right. I tried to get control back. I just turned the steering wheel a little bit and my car just all of a sudden -- it did a 360 all the way to the left and hit the wall," he explained.
He said he knew it would be slick, but he was traveling the same speed as other cars.
Sin's smashed-up car closed down the left lane of the ramp. About 10 minutes after his crash, another car slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the off-ramp.
At one point during the noon hour, emergency crews were working nearly two dozen crashes at the same time. At the I-80 westbound transition to I-15 at the spaghetti bowl at least 17 vehicles were damaged when they lost control.
UDOT spokesman Adan Carrillo said, "Temperatures, as cold as they have been, are making it to where even fog is freezing on the roads and bridges and overpasses. So, those are the areas we're trying to focus on."
On such a treacherous surface, UHP urges all drivers to ease off the accelerator, increase their following distance, and keep their eyes open for a safe escape area.
Breck said, "Be aware of your surroundings. Make sure that you have an out. If you see that traffic is slowing 12 cars in front of you, watching the traffic lane is the best thing you can do, and slow down."
Also be careful when you apply the brakes or you could lose control.
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Story compiled with information from Sarah Dallof, Jed Boal and Cleon Wall.
