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Sandra Yi reporting Nine people, most of them children, were taken to the hospital after a minivan collided with a semi truck. It happened at the intersection of 7200 West and 3500 South.
Investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what happened at the intersection. The minivan the injured people were riding in has major damage, and the driver's side is crushed, but investigators say the crash could have been a lot worse because the children in the minivan may not have been wearing seat belts.
The minivan was headed southbound on 7200 West and tried to beat the light. It collided with a semi truck trying to make a left turn on to 7200 West.
There were two women inside the minivan, along with children ranging from two months to nine years old.
The driver had to be extricated. She and the passenger were taken to the hospital. The children were treated for minor injuries, and the semi truck driver was not hurt.
Investigators are not sure how many people in the minivan were wearing seat belts, and they believe the adult passenger had an 18-month-old on her lap.
"Even going from 30 miles an hour to a dead stop instantly your body continues at 30 miles an hour, and if you're not buckled in, a 10-pound child all of the sudden becomes hundreds of pounds and impossible to hold," explained Lt. Paul Jaroscak, spokesman for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Some lanes of traffic were shut down for a little while. The Utah Highway Patrol is now inspecting the semi truck, and the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office is investigating the accident.
They say it's too early to determine who was exactly at fault and who may be given a citation.
