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Karen Scullin ReportingA jack-knifed semi shut down Little Cottonwood Canyon this afternoon. Police say the driver's quick thinking and his driving skills saved lives.
The driver of the semi was coming down the canyon just before noon when his brakes went out. That's when police say he made the right move.
Instead of steering the semi into on-coming traffic, the driver turned towards the mountain. Police say his trailer started to jack-knife, hitting another car and causing a domino effect. with that car crashing into another car and sending it tumbling down the mountain.
Peggy Faulkner, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office: "He was wearing his seatbelt. Got out grabbed his stuff. His camera and ski equipment, and climbed back up here, and he wasn't injured at all."
Police say the driver was safe because he wore his seatbelt. They say if he hadn't been strapped in, he probably would have been ejected from his car as it somersaulted down the mountain.
This afternoon Little Cottonwood Canyon was completely closed down to traffic while crews worked for hours cleaning up the wreck. A tow truck was called in to pull the white wagon back up the mountain.
Everyone walked away from this accident without any serious injuries. One female driver was taken to the hospital by ambulance and she is also fine tonight.
Police are still investigating this accident. They don't know yet if any citations will be issued, but they do say they'll be inspecting the semi-truck.
