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COVE FORT, Millard County — A Colorado man died when the 18-wheeler he was driving rolled down a steep embankment on I-170 and pinned him under the rig, the Utah Highway Patrol said Sunday.
UHP investigators believe Deron J. Mason, 46, of Wiggins, Colorado, was likely dead for more than 24 hours before a passing motorist who stopped in the area saw the wrecked tractor-trailer. Wiggins fueled up in Las Vegas on Friday morning but did not arrive in Denver with a load of produce at the expected time.
The truck left the road, crossed the rumble strips and emergency lane and went off the right shoulder near Cove Fort, according to the UHP. Investigators were following up on the driver's log books and times to determine when the crash occurred. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected from the cab, the UHP said.
Crews were working Sunday to extricate the driver from under the vehicle, but heavy rain and hail slowed their progress. The U.S. Forest Service was cutting down trees between a dirt road and the crash site to get heavy equipment to the vehicle.
The UHP said investigators are looking into indications of the use of controlled substances.
