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WASATCH FRONT — Two traffic incidents caused trouble on Utah freeways Saturday. A semitrailer fire forced an hour-long closure of I-80 in Tooele County, and a single vehicle crash on I-15 in Utah County sent a man to the hospital.
Semitrailer fire shuts down I-80, damages pavement
A section of eastbound I-80 in Tooele County is down to one lane, after the pavement was damaged in a semitrailer fire.
Utah Highway Patrol investigators said the fire started at about 1:15 p.m., near milepost 69, as the truck was heading east toward Salt Lake City.
The driver was able to get the truck stopped, and got out safely to call for help, UHP troopers said.
Traffic was diverted around the area for about a hour while fire crews put out the flames and cleaned up the debris.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Eastbound traffic will have only one lane through this section of I-80 until the damaged pavement can be repaired.
SUV crashes on I-15 in Utah County; DUI suspected
Meanwhile, UHP investigators believe driver impairment is to blame for a Utah County accident that happened earlier in the day.
Troopers said a man was driving south on I-15 around 7:30 a.m., when his SUV crashed into the freeway barriers near mile marker 266 at around 7:30 a.m.
Following the crash, troopers said a passing driver positioned his truck and trailer in front of the vehicle to prevent it from being hit before help arrived.
The driver of the SUV, whose name was not released Saturday, had to be extricated from his vehicle. He was taken to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center with multiple injuries.
Following an investigation by the Utah Highway Patrol, he was arrested for investigation of DUI.
