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A 54-year-old UPS truck driver died today in a crash near Tooele. Another man was injured in the collision but is expected to survive.
The man who died, Alan Christofferson, was liked by all his peers and UPS co-workers. We talked to several off camera and they couldn't say enough about the new grandfather and what a stand-up man he was.
The accident happened just after 9:00 this morning. The Utah Highway Patrol says the UPS truck was heading southbound on state Route 36 when a dump truck made a left-hand turn in front of him at the intersection with state Route 138.
"The light was green in both directions for both of them, so the driver of the truck made a left-hand turn in front of oncoming traffic," explained UHP Cpl. Andrew Prescott.
Both trucks collided, killing Christofferson. The dump truck driver survived and was air lifted to University Hospital.
"He was ejected from his truck. He's got some injuries, but I don't believe they are life-threatening," Prescott said.
Damage to both vehicles was severe. The UPS truck had heavy front-end damage, especially on the driver's side. The dump truck, which was hauling mud, was turned into a crumpled piece of metal. Diesel fuel spilled out onto the road.
Despite the damage, Prescott says speed wasn't an issue. "At this point, speed doesn't appear to be a factor; just a matter of two heavy vehicles colliding," he said. "There's a lot of debris, mud and damage to both the vehicles. It's pretty severe."
The accident wasn't cleaned up for hours, causing some backup as drivers were diverted around the mess.
E-mail: ngonzales@ksl.com
