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SALT LAKE CITY — In the heat of the evening on July 4, the Utah Highway Patrol received reports of a reckless driver between Tooele and Wendover. A man in a Dodge pickup truck was driving the wrong way on I-80.
Ultimately, the truck collided head-on with a Suburban. Three people died and one was critically injured. It’s believed the driver, later identified as Paul Mumford of West Jordan, was under the influence of alcohol when the crash happened.
This accident was just one of many highway tragedies Utah has seen this summer. All of them take a toll on everyone involved, including the emergency crews who respond, and Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cory Nye knows that firsthand.
“It was a horrible scene; it was a hard impact,” said Nye, who was among several emergency responders on I-80 that day.
With 17 years on the force, Nye said the accident was one of the worst he's seen. Among the dead was a 3-year-old girl.
“I’ve got a little daughter,” Nye said. “My daughter and that particular girl involved in this collision are about a year apart, so it does hit home.”
While attending to the overwhelming demands of the crash, Nye also watched over his newest trooper. It was the man’s first case, his first fatal collision.
“This is something that he will live with. This is something that he never forgets,” Nye said.
“I can describe the detail of my first collision that involved a fatality, and I can give you specifics because it’s something that does not go away,” Nye continued. “And it’s compounded when it is a child or infant (who dies).”
Emergency crews worked for nine hours to clear the scene.
If Mumford was driving drunk, it was one poor decision that will have a huge ripple effect. Nye says others should learn from this tragedy.
“Think about the consequences — not only about yourself, but think about your loved ones,” he said. “We have the victims of the family that now are going to be dealing with this horrific incident for the rest of their (lives). … We have the individual who made that decision who now has to be accountable for that decision. … And we have his children that now have to live with the results and consequences.”
And you shouldn’t forget the new UHP trooper who has the graphic details etched into memory.
Mumford made his first appearance in court on Monday. He is scheduled for another hearing on July 29.
