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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Highway Patrol is warning drivers to watch for potential road hazards after a near-miss on I-15 in Iron County last week.
UHP Cpl. Luis Silva said the close call, captured on a driver's dashboard camera, shows someone trying to alert other drivers to a crashed SUV in the middle of the road.
"You can see there's a motorist waving his arms, he has a flashlight with a light that is very dim compared to other vehicles," Silva said to KSL-TV as he reviewed the footage. "It appears that the semi may hot have seen them in time and attempted to slow down but still passed them at a very high rate of speed."
The video shows two others standing and sitting on the inside shoulder having to jump up and out of the way quickly to avoid the oncoming semi.
"I'm not going to say they did right or wrong by getting out of their vehicle — each situation is unique," Silva said. "You've got to weigh those risk factors of standing outside on the freeway and being aware that there's now traffic going past you."
Silva said what happened was a good case-in-point for how dangerous the interstate can be.
He urged drivers to always be watching closely for signs of trouble ahead, and said anyone already in a bad situation on the roads should do whatever they can to get off of the roads.
Drivers should also consider storing emergency flares and fluorescent vests in their cars in cases of roadside emergencies, to improve their visibility, according to Silva.
"It was a very dangerous situation — not only for the motorists but also the drivers," Silva said. "If your car is able to safely go over to the right shoulder and you're able to safely do it, then go ahead and move your vehicle out of the roadway."
Troopers also said keeping reflective clothing and flares in your car in case of emergency is not a bad idea.
