Police identify 2 killed after road rage incident led to head-on crash in Eagle Mountain


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EAGLE MOUNTAIN — Authorities on Monday identified two people who were killed after the vehicle they were in was struck by a pickup truck that police say was involved in a "road rage incident of some kind" Sunday afternoon moments before the crash.

Rodney Michal Salm, 48, of Salt Lake City, and Michaela Himmelberger, 47, of Holladay, were killed in the crash, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said.

Authorities have not yet released the name of the driver of the pickup truck; however, officials said the investigation remains ongoing.

Emergency crews responded to a report of a crash on state Route 73 near Eagle Mountain Boulevard around 12:30 p.m. Sunday. There, they learned of a road rage incident that led up to the crash, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

He said it all began when there was some kind of road rage incident involving the driver of a 2016 Ford F-150 and the driver of a 2014 Nissan Maxima near Brandon Park close to the center of Eagle Mountain. The driver of the Maxima told authorities that the Ford pickup truck pulled onto a road in front of him, and the two engaged on multiple roadways, Cannon added.

The two vehicles ended up on northbound Eagle Mountain Boulevard, traveling several miles before they both turned onto eastbound S.R. 73. The driver of the Maxima said the F-150 was "close behind him" before it moved into the eastbound emergency lane next to the Maxima," Cannon said.

"The driver of the F-150 then rammed the Maxima from the side. The driver of the Maxima then began to stop," he wrote in a statement. "At this point, it appears the driver of the F-150 lost control, crossed the center line, and crashed head-on into a 1987 Porsche 911 that was driving west."

Salm, who was driving the Porsche, and Himmelberger, who was sitting in the passenger seat, were killed on impact. The two were out for a cruise with other members of a local Porsche club.

The driver of the F-150 was transported to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, Cannon said. He added that the driver will face criminal charges but "investigators have not yet determined exactly what those charges will be."

Cannon said the driver of the Maxima remained at the scene and was cooperating with investigators. The sheriff's office is asking anyone who either witnessed the fatal crash or the road rage incident to call the Utah County Sheriff's Office Investigations Bureau at 801-851-4010 with any information they might have.

Both directions of S.R. 73 were closed in the area for several hours as the Utah County Sheriff's Office and Utah Highway Patrol investigated the crash. The highway reopened Sunday evening.

Contributing: Lauren Steinbrecher

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

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