Wrong-way crash on I-70 claims the life of an 11-year-old
Jan 9, 2022, 7:52 PM | Updated: Dec 29, 2022, 11:49 am
Santaquin police say a 5-year-old is dead after an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. (Utah Highway Patrol)
(Utah Highway Patrol)
RICHFIELD, Utah — A wrong-way crash on I-70 early Sunday morning claimed the life of an 11-year-old child.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, the accident took place at 2 a.m. The child’s mother was driving a Cadillac SUV eastbound in the westbound lanes. Near milepost 35, the Cadillac collided with a semi-truck in the right front portion of the vehicle.
The Cadillac slid down the side and dislodged the rear axles. The vehicle was thrown off the right side of the highway. Despite wearing seat belts, two passengers were ejected from the vehicle. One of the individuals thrown from the vehicle was the 11-year-old who died at the scene.
The second individual thrown from the vehicle is a 9-year-old who was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in extremely critical condition.
The UHP says the mother of the children, was intoxicated and suffered only minor injuries. She is currently in the custody of the UHP. The investigation into the crash is ongoing and charges are forthcoming, according to authorities.
