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SALT LAKE CITY — One person died and two were hospitalized after a wrong-way crash that temporarily closed part of Interstate 80 late Wednesday night.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cameron Roden said state troopers received reports of a gray pickup truck heading east in the westbound lanes near 1300 East in Salt Lake City around 11:24 p.m. That pickup truck then crashed into a red pickup truck and an SUV in Parleys Canyon.
The wrong-way driver suffered critical injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead by emergency crews on scene.
Roden said the body of the red pickup truck separated from its frame, trapping the driver inside the cab. He was hospitalized with significant injuries after he was extricated from the truck.
The driver of the SUV had minor injuries and was also taken to an area hospital. Roden said both are expected to recover.
Following breaking news out of Parley's Canyon as troopers investigate a deadly wrong way crash.
— Karah Brackin (@kbontv) December 14, 2023
These photos show the heavy impacts of the collision:
Troopers say the wrong way driver was headed East in the Westbound lanes of I-80, near 1300
East. @KSL5TV
📸: Aubrey Shafer pic.twitter.com/9QccaOXxWX
Westbound I-80 was closed for several hours into Thursday morning and traffic was diverted back eastbound. Westbound lanes have since reopened.
Third wrong-way crash in 4 days
State troopers on Wednesday released videos showing two wrong-way drivers, both allegedly impaired, that were intercepted by law enforcement vehicles earlier this week.
The first collision occurred on Dec. 10 on U.S. Highway 40 in Park City, where a Summit County deputy stopped a wrong-way driver.
Approximately 24 hours later, another crash took place in Ogden between a law enforcement vehicle and a car that was traveling on I-15. The car had been going over 100 mph and police described the driver in court documents as "highly intoxicated."
