Commuters in Parleys Canyon were met with significant delays on Thursday afternoon after a semi-truck hauling rolls of carpet jackknifed on Interstate 80. The incident, which caused hours-long traffic disruptions, occurred around 4 p.m. in the westbound lanes near the mouth of the canyon, as reported by KUTV.
The semi was the sole vehicle involved in the mishap, and the driver suffered serious, though not life-threatening, injuries. Specifically, two right lanes were closed off to allow emergency personnel to properly tend to the driver and manage the cleanup, according to KSL. Alongside the crash itself, the semi was leaking oil and fuel, creating further complications and prolonging the road clearance.
Medical teams were quick to respond to the accident, where they evaluated the truck driver on-scene. "He may be transported to the hospital," said Lieutenant Cam Roden, as obtained by ABC4. Cleanup operations were extensive due to the hazardous material spill, necessitating the prolonged shutdown of the impacted lanes.
Drivers who planned to travel through the area were advised to seek alternate routes to avoid the bottleneck. The resourceful efforts of the response teams eventually allowed for the reopening of the affected portions of I-80 later in the evening. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and no further details about the driver's condition or the timeline for a full return to normal traffic flow were immediately available.
