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SALT LAKE CITY — Only four days into 2014, and Utah has already seen two highway fatalities. It's definitely not the way Utah Highway Patrol troopers were hoping to start out the new year.
On Thursday, police say 29-year-old James Flynn ran out of Davis Hospital and Medical Center and onto I-15. He was hit by two vehicles and died after being transported back to the hospital.
Then on Friday, troopers say 34-year-old Gregory Leavitt of Pleasant Grove crossed a lane while driving on U.S. 6 in the Spanish Fork Canyon and headed straight into an oncoming semitruck.
Leavitt was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semitruck was taken to the hospital for injuries and released that same night.
In both cases, other drivers on the road had very little time to react. Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rumfield said following two tips can help drivers avoid a similar accident.
"We always talk about a three-second rule when we're following other vehicles; give yourself some distance and time that you can react appropriately and safely," Rumfield said.
"There's also another rule that's called the 12-second rule," he said; "you're always looking ahead beyond that car, at least 12 seconds ahead of you."
The UHP's Zero Fatalities campaign educates drivers on how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe on the road. It focuses on five deadly driving behaviors: distracted driving, drowsy driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving, and not buckling up.
Zero Fatalities has helped reduce the number of fatalities on Utah's highways in the past. In 2012, 215 drivers or passengers died on Utah roads; in 2013, 207 people never made it home.
In 2014, with two lives already taken, UHP troopers are asking for drivers to be more vigilant.
"(Troopers) can do really only what we can do, but the rest is up to you," Rumfield said.
All too often, Rumfield said he sees drivers texting, eating and even reading while on the road. He cautions drivers to wait to do those activities, because nothing is more important than saving a life.
