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SANDY — A Draper City Fire Department battalion chief is "doing great" after being hit by a car about 8 p.m. on southbound I-15 near 14600 South, officials said.
The battalion chief was flown to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray in critical condition earlier in the evening, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Nick Street said.
About 10 p.m., the chief's condition had stabilized and was upgraded. He had been moved to a recovery room and was up and talking.
"Our firefighter brother is doing great," UHP officials said in a tweet. "Reports are that he doesn't have any severe injuries. He may be released from the hospital shortly."
Great news! Our firefighter brother is doing great! Reports are that he doesn't have any severe injuries. He may be released from the hospital shortly. Thank you to all of Utah's first responders for their efforts above and beyond the call of duty on this challenging day!
— Utah Highway Patrol (@UTHighwayPatrol) December 28, 2018
Street did not release further information about the battalion chief’s identity, or the vehicle's speed when it hit the man.
Emergency officials were responding to a two-car crash in the area around 8 p.m., Street said. One of the cars from the crash ended up on the left side of the road by the median, while the other ended up on the right side of the road, near the shoulder, he said.
A UHP trooper responded first to the crash, and requested backup, Street said. The Draper battalion chief arrived shortly after, and got out of his vehicle to check on the people in the car that was by the median, Street said.
At that point, another car that was coming south on I-15 lost control and struck the Draper firefighter with its bumper, according to Street. The firefighter became pinned between that vehicle and the car that was by the median, he said.
As of 10:20 p.m., the four left lanes of southbound I-15 were still closed in the area, according to the Utah Department of Transportation website. UDOT officials were estimating that the scene would be cleared by about 11:30 p.m.
People in the area are asked to use Redwood Road or other non-freeway streets as alternate routes, highway patrol officials said on Twitter.
This is the second time this year a Draper fire battalion chief has been injured while on duty. In August, Draper City Fire Battalion Chief Matt Burchett, 42, died while fighting a wildfire in California.
Contributing: Andrew Adams, KSL TV, Alex Cabrero, KSL TV
