Cement Truck Crashes Into Van

Cement Truck Crashes Into Van


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Amanda Butterfield ReportingIn North Salt Lake, an out-of-control cement truck bore down on a mother and her young son.

The truck driver steered his truck off the road, and through some trees hoping to avoid any other vehicles. But the trees were no match, and the truck went right onto Highway 89, hitting a van with a two-year-old and his mother inside.

This is the crash Porter Weston saw-- not only saw, but was part of.

Reporter: "Were you scared?" Porter Weston: "Yeah."

Jennifer Weston/Survivor: "We were just on our way to Costco."

Porter's mom Jennifer noticed the truck in her rearview mirror as she was coming down Eagle Ridge Drive, a road trucks are on often, because of all the construction.

Jennifer Weston: "All the time. All the time."

Then she took a right, and headed north on Highway 89. That's when she heard a loud noise.

Jennifer Weston/Survivor: "I turned and looked out the window, saw a big cloud of smoke and the front of a big concrete pumping truck coming through the trees."

The truck driver told police he went for the trees to try and slow him down, because his brakes had failed.

Officer Seth Cawley/NSLPD: "The guy was coming down too fast, too high of gear, brakes locked up, and he was unable to stop."

Jennifer Weston/Survivor: "When it hit us, it didn't jolt, was really smooth, and we kind of turned."

When they came to a stop, Porter was crying, so she got him out of the car fast. Now it's all he's talking about.

Porter Weston: "You better watch out for that car."

And it's all his mom and family can think about.

Jennifer Weston: "I don't know. We're just lucky, really lucky."

North Salt Lake Police say they've only had four truck wrecks like this on the road in the past two years- - none of them fatal. They say the road, though steep, is safe if you're going the speed limit.

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