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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah Highway Patrol trooper suffered minor injuries Friday while assisting a vehicle that had spun out, when a second vehicle also lost control and ran into the back of the trooper's patrol car.
Trooper Dale Talbot was in the left emergency lane assisting a vehicle that had spun out and hit the concrete barrier on I-215 near 700 North about 6:10 a.m. His emergency lights were on at the time, said UHP Sgt. Todd Royce.
Not long after, a Nissan pickup truck heading north also lost control, spun out and crashed into the back of Talbot's car while he was in it, Royce said. One person from the pickup was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. Both vehicles sustained "major damage," he said.
Royce said it was still raining lightly in Salt Lake City at the time of the crash.
The incident marks the 10th trooper hit during 2017. Through this time last year, 14 troopers had been hit, and a total of 22 troopers were hit in 2016. While statistically the number of incidents is better this year, Royce said it's still too many.
In most cases, a trooper was hit during inclement weather, including Friday's crash, he said. He cautioned all drivers to slow down during rainy and snowy days, and to be aware of standing water and hydroplaning.
Between midnight and noon on Friday, there were 56 crashes reported in Salt Lake County. Twelve of those involved minor injuries, Royce said.
