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WELLINGTON, Carbon County — A semitruck crashed into a restaurant in Wellington early Wednesday morning, closing U.S. 6 and Main Street for most of the day, officials said.
The eastbound truck was traveling too fast for weather conditions and drove off the road about 6:30 a.m., colliding with Los Jilbertos Mexican Fast Food at 15 W. Main St., the Utah Highway Patrol said in a statement. The restaurant was open for business at the time of the accident, but the owners were the only ones inside.
UHP officials believe the truck driver was driving over the 40 mile per hour speed limit when the truck lost control.
When troopers arrived, one of the restaurant owners was standing outside the collapsed building and said his wife was trapped inside. Troopers called out to her, and she answered and said she was uninjured. They quickly extricated her from the building.
The owners were transported to Castleview Hospital with serious injuries but "are doing OK ... considering," officials said in a tweet. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries.
Los Jilbertos and the truck are "a total loss," troopers said.
Classes at Wellington Elementary were canceled Wednesday since crews needed to shut off the power, Wellington police said in a Facebook post.
Utility crews are still working to sort out power, gas and water issues that resulted from the crash.
As of 6 p.m., U.S. 6 was open, according to the Utah Department of Transportation website.
During the road closures, eastbound traffic was detoured on 400 West to Railroad Avenue, then on to 100 East and south to Ridge Road and back on to U.S. 6. Westbound traffic was detoured to Ridge Road to state Route 10, police said.
Los Jilbertos is "obviously closed," authorities said.
A GoFundMe* was created for the owners of Los Jilbertos that, as of Wednesday afternoon, had raised over $1,500 of its $1,000 goal.
"This restaurant was the sole income for this family, and they will need our help during this tragic loss!" the GoFundMe reads.
The crash was one of 132 crashes Utah Highway Patrol troopers worked on Wednesday, the agency said on Twitter. On I-15 near Willard in Box Elder County, a trooper avoided injuries after another driver's car hit his patrol vehicle while it was on the shoulder of the highway, UHP said.
Contributing: Sam Penrod, KSL TV; Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com
*Disclaimer: KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit or donation you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
