Rock slide shuts down American Fork Canyon


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(Photo courtesy DPS)

AMERICAN FORK -- A large rock slide left a mess in American Fork Canyon Saturday afternoon.

Sgt. Brett Christensen with the Utah Highway Patrol said, "They are big rocks. They came down very hard. We don't know how high they came from, but they hit the road very hard."

Troopers said around 11 a.m. massive boulders came tumbling down the canyon and into a creek. The slide missed commuters by just seconds and no one was hurt.

"It was amazing. We actually had one gentleman that was in a pickup truck that actually saw it happen," said Christensen. "They came across the road in front of his pick up. It was just a matter of seconds that kept him as a witness versus a victim."

Christensen said the only damage was to the road itself. In fact, several boulders hit so hard they left holes in the pavement that were several feet deep.

Troopers said they didn't know what caused the slide.

"We see a lot of small rock slides and rock falls, not generally to this magnitude. We generally see them more after storms when the moisture loosens the rocks," said Christensen.

The road was shut down for several hours while UDOT crews cleared a path for drivers stuck by the slide.

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