Returning from mine search, Unified Fire crews respond in seconds to Elberta crash

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ELBERTA — As they returned from assisting with a search and rescue effort Wednesday, Unified Fire Authority heavy rescue crews just happened to pass by a crash scene mere seconds after the rollover accident took place.

The crash happened about 4 p.m. Wednesday on state Route 68 about two miles north of the remote southwest Utah County town of Elberta, according to Utah Highway Patrol officials.

One person was in critical condition in the crash and another person had serious injuries. There were no updates on the condition of the two people as of Thursday afternoon, according to UHP.

The UFA crews were returning from the Tintic Standard Mine in the mountains west of Elberta, where they were helping recover two bodies that were discovered in a mine shaft.

They were driving north on state Route 68 to return to the Salt Lake Valley when they came across the crash scene, about a minute after it happened, UFA Paramedic Taylor Sandstrom said.

“It’s extraordinarily rare for that to happen and for us to respond that quickly,” Sandstrom said.

Crew members pulled over to the side of the road and began to render aid to the two people involved in the crash, just as they would in any other crash situation, Sandstrom said. Both people involved needed to be extricated from the vehicle, and both were taken to local hospitals via medical helicopters, he added.

It is hard to say how much the ultra-fast response time helped with the medical conditions of the two victims, Sandstrom said. However, it certainly didn’t hurt, he added.

“These are extraordinary circumstances where our highly trained crews were immediately available,” Sandstrom said. “Our crews were able to give those two patients the fastest, most appropriate care that was available.”