MURRAY — A 68-year-old man remained critically injured Saturday night after being hit by a semitruck earlier in the day on I-15 near the freeway's south interchange with I-215.
Police received a call at 11:07 a.m. reporting that a man was on I-15 near 6000 South, according to a statement from the Utah Highway Patrol. Troopers arrived a few minutes later, but when they got there, the man walked into traffic and was struck by a semitruck, UHP said.
The accident happened about 11:25 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the freeway near 6500 South, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Lawrence Hopper said.
Though the semitruck had slowed to around 20 mph before impact, the man suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital in "extremely critical condition," troopers reported.
"We're not sure why he was on the road," Hopper said. "That'll be part of our investigation."
Hopper said the driver of the semitruck was not injured and is cooperating with investigators.
All northbound lanes of I-15 were closed for nearly two hours after the impact, with some lanes reopening around 1 p.m. Officers are unsure why the man, who is from Murray, walked into traffic, but Utah Highway Patrol said they are concerned it might have been a suicide attempt.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
Crisis Hotlines
- Utah County Crisis Line: 801-691-5433
- Salt Lake County/UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsputah.com
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Additional Warning Signs:
Courtesy of the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition
Contributing: Cara MacDonald, KSL.com
