Crashes clog I-15 morning commute

SALT LAKE CITY — A couple of big accidents on I-15 Thursday morning created a messy commute for motorists headed into Salt Lake City.

About 4:30 a.m. a semi with a 53-foot trailer hauling produce was attempting to go from I-80 westbound onto I-15 north on wet roads when the driver lost control of his rig and struck the center median. The semi jackknifed and blocked four lanes of traffic, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. The crash also caused the semi to lose a large amount of oil and diesel which created a big cleanup, the UHP stated.

The traffic lanes were reopened just before 8:30 a.m. The semi driver was not injured, while the passenger was treated for a cut, according to troopers.

While crews were cleaning up that crash, about 6:30 a.m. a Unified police officer heading into work on I-15 going south, came across a vehicle that needed to be pushed out of the traffic lanes. The officer was using his vehicle to push the disabled vehicle to the shoulder, when he was rear-ended by a semi near the Layton Parkway, according to the UHP.

The crash resulted in minor damage and no one was injured, the UHP stated.

Editor's note: An earlier version stated that the driver received minor injuries. UHP later said the driver was not injured.

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