Estimated read time: 2-3 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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
OGDEN — One person is dead and another is in critical condition after they were hit by a car while changing a tire on Interstate 15 in Ogden on Tuesday.
The accident occurred just before 24th Street on northbound I-15, according to information from the Utah Highway Patrol.
At around 11:30 a.m., two pickup trucks each towing trailers stopped in the left-hand emergency lane of northbound I-15, police say. The front truck and trailer had a flat tire on the left side.
Police say a woman driving a third pickup truck in the northbound lane approached the two other vehicles in the left emergency lane and sideswiped the rear truck and trailer as it passed. Troopers say the truck was still traveling at freeway speeds when it drifted into the emergency lane.
It then continued forward, hitting two pedestrians as they were trying to get back into their truck through the passenger side. Troopers say the woman in the truck didn't immediately stop after hitting the men, instead ending up a ways down the road.
One pedestrian remained on the northbound side, while the other was thrown over the median onto the southbound left shoulder. The latter died after being flown by a medical helicopter to the hospital.
The woman in the truck was also hospitalized with minor injuries.
Police told KSL-TV they are still investigating, and are unsure what the woman was doing when her truck drifted into the emergency lane and why she didn't immediately stop after hitting the men. They declined to say whether the woman could face charges, and said they would consult with the county attorney once the investigation is complete.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Mike McKay warned drivers to pull off to the right edge of the roadway or even the nearest exit ramp if they have an issue with their car or a flat tire, and urged drivers to stay alert.
"We just need to make sure people are paying attention — looking down the roadway, looking for those hazards," he said.
The accident closed two northbound lanes near 24th Street, according to a tweet from the Utah Highway Patrol. Southbound lanes left lanes were also closed at the same location.
All lanes were open by 6 p.m., according to UDOT's traffic website.
Contributing: Lauren Steinbrecher, Bridger Beal-Cvetko
Most recent News stories
Related topics
Kaitlyn Bancroft
