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GRANTSVILLE — Two people are dead after a fiery crash involving two semitrucks in Tooele County.
The crash shut down a 7-mile stretch of I-80 near Grantsville in both directions for over six hours. One eastbound lane reopened shortly after 10 a.m. The westbound lanes need to be repaved and were expected to remain closed until Wednesday evening, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. UDOT estimated the road would be reopened by 12:51 a.m. Thursday.
A semitrailer pulling a military vehicle on a flatbed was heading east on I-80 about 3 a.m. when it hit a median northwest of Grantsville, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce said.
The driver of the semitrailer, identified as Fred V. Marsh, 61, of Sun Valley, Nevada, died from his injuries.
The military vehicle detached from the flatbed and rolled into the westbound lanes on I-80, Royce said.
A westbound FedEx double-load semitrailer then crashed into the military vehicle and erupted into flames, Royce said. A co-driver in the passenger seat of the FedEx truck died from his injuries. He was later identified as Robert E. Kuntz, 58, of Urich, Missouri.
NOW: About a 30-40 min delay EB on I80, traffic backed up for 2-3 miles. #TooeleCo@KSL5TV@KSLChopper5pic.twitter.com/5fSHoCGfyd
— Shara Park (@KSLSharaPark) October 19, 2016
The driver of the vehicle survived with injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening. He was taken to a nearby hospital.
The semi that burned continued to smolder throughout the morning.
The I-80 closure was between Exit 77 near Grantsville and Exit 84, affecting traffic to and from Wendover for several hours.
Our @KSLAndy says it'll take you 80 to 90 minutes to get around the I-80 closure after a double-fatal crash. Video from @KSL5TV Chopper 5. pic.twitter.com/ZcJKg8tyCX
— Becky Bruce (@KSLbbruce) October 19, 2016
Contributing: Ben Lockhart
