A 22-year-old man was killed early Thursday in a single-car crash on Interstate 15 just north of mile marker 360 near Brigham City in Box Elder County. Emergency crews pronounced the driver dead at the scene, and investigators briefly shut down lanes while they documented the wreck. Authorities say early evidence suggests the car may have hit another vehicle, but the full story is still being pieced together.
The crash, reported from the roadway north of mile marker 360, first came in during the overnight hours, and troopers later fielded a separate call from a semitruck driver who reported a crash a couple of hours after that initial alert, according to KSL NewsRadio. Troopers have not yet released the victim's name, and investigators are still working to nail down the exact sequence of events. Traffic in the area was disrupted while troopers worked the scene.
What Troopers Say
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cam Roden told FOX13 that dispatchers got a report at about 1:58 a.m. of a white Hyundai Elantra heading southbound without its lights on. A short time later, witnesses came upon the Elantra off the right shoulder, where the 22-year-old driver was pronounced dead. Roden said investigators suspect the Elantra hit another vehicle in the far-right lane that did not stop, and that a semitruck driver later contacted troopers to report a crash.
Where It Happened and Context
The stretch of I-15 north of Brigham City has seen its share of serious wrecks, particularly when fast-changing winter weather and high winds make driving trickier for passenger cars and semitrailers alike. State transportation and safety officials often cite preventable issues, including poor visibility at night and driving too fast for conditions, as recurring factors in deadly crashes, according to a Standard-Examiner summary of UDOT and DPS data (Standard-Examiner). That report notes that Utah's overall traffic deaths dropped last year, even as officials continue to warn about the dangers of risky driving.
So far, troopers have not released any names or announced any charges as they continue to investigate what led up to the crash, according to KSL NewsRadio. The investigation remains open.
