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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah drivers on I-80 were met with considerable delays Wednesday night as lanes were blocked by two accidents that happened within minutes of each other but were 50 miles apart.
A 26-year-old man was killed when the truck and trailer he was driving westbound on I-80 lost control and rolled near milepost 53 in Tooele County, about 20 miles west of the junction with state Route 196. The man was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, Utah Highway Patrol Cpl. Todd Johnson said.
The man later identified as Christopher Fainsbury, of Rockland, Calif.
Officers on scene said a 3-year-old girl was also in the vehicle. The child was riding in a car seat but was taken by medical helicopter to a Salt Lake City hospital.
Johnson said the girl's injuries were limited to some abrasions. UHP had not determined whether Fainsbury was related to the child.
A second car swerved off the road and rolled, attempting to avoid the truck, officers said. The driver was not injured.
The accident occurred at 5:36 p.m., according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Another accident was reported at milepost 106 near Saltair at 5:33 p.m. One man was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence after traveling the wrong way on eastbound I-80. The wrong-way driver forced two female drivers to swerve and cross over into westbound traffic, police said.
One woman trying to avoid the man sustained injuries that were not life-threatening when the Chevrolet Tahoe she was driving rolled across the median. Another woman in a pickup truck struck a semitrailer in westbound traffic but was not hurt, police said.
The wrong-way driver's name was not released Wednesday night.
Email:mromero@deseretnews.com
