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KNOLLS, Tooele County — Two people died Sunday when a wrong-way driver hit another car head-on on eastbound I-80 in rural Tooele County.
The crash occurred about 5 p.m., according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.
A Buick Enclave was traveling west in the eastbound lanes, the DPS said, when it collided with a Tesla passenger car and "both vehicles became quickly engulfed in flame." The collision killed the drivers of both vehicles.
A passenger in the Tesla was flown to a Salt Lake City hospital in serious condition with compound fractures in both legs; no one else was in either vehicle.
The wreck is under investigation. The DPS could not say Sunday evening why the Buick was traveling the wrong way and did not identify the drivers.
The Utah Department of Transportation said eastbound traffic was being diverted through the Grassy Mountain Rest Area on Sunday night. The highway was closed 13 miles east of Knolls, but reopened as of 7 a.m. Monday.
Eastbound traffic on I-80 is stopped at milepost 54. Troopers are on scene of a two car head-on with two fatalities one additional person seriously injured. Expect long delays through the night, as the investigation may take awhile. Additional details to follow on DPS News. pic.twitter.com/Vhuvgr92cf
— Utah Highway Patrol (@UTHighwayPatrol) January 11, 2021
