Estimated read time: 1-2 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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
Amanda Butterfield reporting A teenager dies after a dangerous crash in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The wreck shut down Big Cottonwood canyon for about three hours last night.
It all started when a Salt Lake County Sheriff's deputy spotted a car at the top of the canyon, and suspected suspicious activity.
The deputy says the two people in a green car near Guardsman's Pass gate kept ducking down. He walked up the canyon to check things out, but before he could talk to them the driver sped off, going about 85 miles an hour down the canyon.
Sgt. Paul Jaroscak/ Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office: "We may initially contact people for a minor violation and yet they know what they're running for. It may be something big later. We haven't confirmed any of that yet."
The deputy followed the car, called for backup, and at one point tried to spike the car's tires.
Instead, the suspect's car came to a crashing stop when it slammed head on into a mini-van. No one in the van was hurt. But the man and woman inside the car being chased were critically injured.
Two doctors were in a car behind them and stopped to offer assistance. Still, Scott Hall, the 41-year-old driver, was in very bad shape. He was flown to LDS hospital in critical condition.
His passenger, a 16-year-old girl died later at the University of Utah Medical Center.
Authorities are still waiting to notify their families and have not released the names of the victims.
About 200 to 500 people were up the canyon skiing last night and had to wait out the road closure delays.
