Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
VERNON, Tooele County — Six teenagers were injured Saturday when the vehicle they were traveling in rolled several times on state Route 36 near Vernon.
Police say a sport utility vehicle was traveling north about 4 p.m. when it drifted into the southbound lane. The driver of the SUV overcorrected, causing it to slide sideways onto the soft shoulder of the road and then roll several times, police said.
Three teenagers were ejected from the back seat of the vehicle, and were critically injured, according to Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Steve Winward. The three were flown by medical helicopter to Salt Lake area hospitals.
A male and a female remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday, and another male remained hospitalized in serious condition, Winward said.
"They survived the first 24 hours, so that's good," he said of the two in critical condition. "But it's still touch and go."
The remaining three teens were seriously injured. They were treated at a local hospital and later released.
The occupants, whose names were not released, ranged in age between 16 and 18, three females and three males. The group was returning to Tooele from Rush Valley, Winward said. The three in critical condition, as well as a fourth, were all seated in back, with one passenger seated on someone's lap, he added.
The three who were ejected were not wearing seatbelts, he said. The accident is still under investigation, and it's unknown why the driver drifted into the southbound lane.
Email:lbrubaker@ksl.com
