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Tonya Papanikolas ReportingA family is mourning the loss of their grandparents today after they died in a fatal car crash in Weber County.
Seven people were in that crash last night around 8:30.
A woman was driving. Her husband, her three kids ages 12-18, and her mom and stepdad were in the van with her. The family had just left a wedding in Eden and were on their way back to Oakley when they took a wrong turn.
Robyn McDaniels drove up Powder Mountain Road last night before she realized she was lost. After she did, police say she turned around to come back down the road, using her brakes all the way down the steep hill.
Sgt. Dave Creager, Weber County Sheriff's Office: "She was riding the brakes, maintaining this road, and they just got too hot and failed."
As the brakes failed, the van's speed reached about 60 miles an hour. With no control, the van left the road and crashed into rocks and trees.
Sgt. Dave Creager: "Two people were ejected, one out a rear window and one, I believe, out of a side window."
Some of the passengers were wearing seatbelts, others weren't.
Oral Snapp, age 83, and his wife, 65-year-old Mary Kay Snapp, died at the scene. The other five passengers were flown by Air Med and Life Flight helicopters to various hospitals.
Sgt. Dave Creager: "The ones that were transported are going to be fine-- broken bones, bumps, scrapes. But they should recover fully from their injuries."
The Weber County sheriff's office says this is one of the steepest roads in the state. In fact, every time a car has come down the road, the smell of brakes is noticable.
Because of that, officers say it's crucial on roads like this to switch to a lower gear.
Sgt. J.P. Hansen, Weber County Sheriff's Office: "If you come from the flatlands, you're not familiar with hills and valleys and things like that. You're not going to know."
Sgt. J.P. Hansen: "Use your lower gears, slow the vehicle down. But you've got to do it soon enough that the gears have a chance to catch up."
Oral and Kay Snapp had been married for seven years. They met as LDS temple workers. Their family says they loved life, loved to travel and loved their family, which extended from 14 children between the two of them, down to one great-great grandchild.
Their family told us today they will be greatly missed.
