Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CENTERVILLE — A man died Wednesday after he ran into a stopped semitruck on southbound I-15 in Centerville, authorities said.
The wreck occurred about 11:30 a.m., according to a news release from the Utah Department of Public Safety. A passenger vehicle was traveling in the center lane when the driver of that vehicle realized they needed to exit on Parrish Lane, crossing over quickly, according to the public safety department.
"They crossed the right lane into the gore area for the off-ramp," the release says, "striking the attenuator. The vehicle came to a rest in the right travel lane of the main-flow portion of the interstate."
A semitruck that witnessed the accident stopped in the lane to protect the disabled vehicle. That's when a 1994 Nissan Sentra traveling in the right lane barreled into the semitruck trailer at full speed "for an unknown reason."
Kenneth E. Johnston, 74, of Wood Cross, was the only occupant of the Sentra and died on impact. Utah Highway Patrol officials released Johnston's name on Friday.
The crash caused delays for hours as officials cleared the scene and investigated the crash, but Utah Department of Transportation cameras show the highway fully opened again as of 4 p.m.
CHOPPER 5 is above the scene of a fatal crash on I-15 earlier this morning. Traffic heavily impacted. We're gathering details now.
Posted by KSL 5 TV on Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Contributing: Rikki Meece, KSL NewsRadio
