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SALT LAKE CITY -- A chain-reaction crash on Interstate 15 sent one man to the hospital in serious condition Friday morning.
Troopers say around 9:45 a.m., the 70-year-old driver of a Mazda Miata was headed northbound when he changed lanes near 1100 South. At first he did not notice a car next to him. When he did, he swerved to avoid it, overcorrected, and hit a cement barrier.
Trooper Evan Kirby says as the Miata rebounded into traffic, the car was T-boned by an SUV that had also lost control during the chain of events.
"I thought I was going to die because I'd never been in an accident before," said Josue Bautista, who was in the SUV. "We just got scared and we're glad we're alive."
The driver of the Miata was the only one hurt. Troopers say he was flown to the hospital with lacerations and internal injuries.
"The driver door was crushed in quite a bit," Kirby said. "That causes great concern for internal injuries in the chest, stomach and pelvis area."
Troopers had to cut the man out of his car.
This is the second major crash on I-15 in the past two days. Thursday, a crash involving several semitrailers and cars shut down the freeway for hours.
"You've got to make sure you don't overcorrect," Kirby said. "That often times causes more problems than it helps."
Kirby also said drivers are going faster with warmer weather, meaning attention behind the wheel is that much more important.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
