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TAYLORSVILLE — Southbound Bangerter Highway was shut down Monday night following a four-car crash near 4700 South. In surveying the aftermath of twisted metal, responding officers were amazed to find only a couple of people injured.
"Especially this time of night, in that heavy of traffic at 5:20 (p.m.) on this road, it's nothing short of a miracle that there were only four cars that were heavily involved," said Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell.
Shortly before 6 p.m., a truck headed north on Bangerter suddenly veered through the center median and into the southbound lanes, Bell said.
"It hit the barricade and went airborne, but stayed upright and landed back on its own tires," the lieutenant said. Then the truck was hit by an SUV, nearly head-on, which then spun into a white car.
Two other cars were damaged trying to miss the madness.
"Obviously there was something that caused the driver to go through a barricade into oncoming traffic, but we haven't determined what that was yet," Bell said.
As crash scene investigators figure that out, they're pleading with other drivers to be careful.
"Just pay attention and always be aware of your surroundings," Bell said. "A truck coming airborne over a center median is something you don't expect, but you've always got to be paying attention."
Police said the worst injured was the driver of the truck, who is listed in poor condition with soft tissue injuries. But she's expected to survive.
The driver of the SUV suffered a couple broken bones. Nobody else hurt.
