Nasty weather leads to slide-offs, wrecks on I-15 in Juab, Utah counties
Apr 19, 2020, 6:44 PM
FILE: Roadwork like pothole repair would be covered under the $1 trillion infrastructure bill -- but critics say it's what else is in the bill that has nothing to do with infrastructure that's problematic. (Photo: KSL TV)
(Photo: KSL TV)
A freak weather squall of heavy rain and hail came pouring down on drivers Sunday morning just south of Santaquin, making a mess of things on the road — causing wrecks along I-15.
KSL Traffic Trooper Robert Williams texted the news room that he saw the nasty weather from his kitchen window, about a 30 minute squall of heavy rain and hail.
He also said there were slide-offs and wrecks along I-15 in Juab and Utah counties.
“I watched it from my kitchen window when I saw a couple of police cars with lights flashing coming on the northbound freeway,” Williams said. “Then I watched with the spotting scope from the southbound side. My ranch is between the freeway and Old Old Hwy 91.”
He said the problem was definitely speed, with some vehicles going past 80 miles per hour. Utah Highway Patrol responded to the multiple problems caused by the quick storm well into the late afternoon.
UDOT spokesman John Gleason said it’s dangerous to speed through severe weather on any roads, much less on the heavily traveled I-15.
“It’s so important to slow down, and on a day like today, it doesn’t make any sense to drive freeway speeds when you’re driving in severe weather like that,” Gleason said.
Northbound I-15 was heavy in Juab County coming up toward Santaquin for a time Sunday afternoon. Speeds were back to normal about 4:30 p.m.
