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SALINA, Sevier County — An Iowa man is dead after driving off a steep embankment on I-70 near Salina.
Steve R. Johnson, 58, was traveling west on I-70 in a silver 2010 Ford F-250 at about 8:15 a.m. Monday when he drifted into the median while approaching a left-hand curve. Witnesses said he was noticeably speeding. Johnson, from Aurelia, Iowa, corrected to the right and back into westbound lanes, then overcorrected back into eastbound lanes.
Johnson's vehicle went down a steep embankment off the eastbound lanes and began to roll as it reached the frontage road at the bottom, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. It rolled into a dry creekbed lined with large rocks, which tore most of the cab from the frame of the truck.
Johnson was wearing a seatbelt, according to UHP, but died instantly due to head and neck trauma. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but police are looking into possible impairment on prescription medication.
