Police identify 18-year-old killed in Butterfield Canyon crash


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BUTTERFIELD CANYON — An 18-year-old woman was killed and two teenagers injured Thursday when their car went off a steep canyon road.

Bailey Lynne Rupe, of Layton, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Two other teens, both from Tooele, suffered minor injuries, according to Unified police.

The crash happened about 7 a.m. near 9500 W. Butterfield Canyon Road on a steep, dirt road with a lot of switchbacks. The teens were near the top of Butterfield Canyon and headed east, down toward the Salt Lake Valley, when their vehicle went off the road and dropped about 250 yards before coming to a stop in an area of thick scrub oak.

Rupe, the driver, was partially ejected and killed, said Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell. Two passengers, a 15-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy from Tooele County, were able to walk away from the wreck. None of the three were wearing seat belts, he said.

The boy was able to get cellphone coverage and call 911. Emergency responders from Tooele County were able to reach the crash area first, Bell said. Rescuers used a rope to reach the two surviving teens and get them back on the main road. They were both treated at a Salt Lake County hospital and were released later in the day.

Police learned that Rupe was drinking overnight sometime before the crash, but it wasn't known Thursday whether she was intoxicated at the time of the crash, Bell said. A scheduled autopsy will help police determine that detail, he said.

Investigators were also looking at whether the morning sunrise may have obstructed Rupe's view while driving.

The 15-year-old passenger, who sneaked out of her home to be on the excursion, had also been drinking, and the trio had been "up all night," police said.

Contributing: Ben Lockhart

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