Farr West residents speak out about dangerous intersection where 9-year-old girl lost her life following a car crash
Mar 21, 2025, 2:14 PM
Google Maps shows the intersection of 2000 West and 2700 North in Farr West. (Map data ©2023 Google)
(Map data ©2023 Google)
SALT LAKE CITY — Farr West residents are asking for more safety protocols at an intersection after a 9-year-old girl died following a car accident there.
The 2000 West and 2700 North intersection is right by Farr West Elementary School. Farr West resident Emily Shupe is worried about her kids and their classmates.
“The speed limit is too high. If you miss that light and blast through it, someone is going to get injured at that high of speed,” said Shupe.
Shupe and other residents voiced their concerns at a city council meeting Thursday night and asked the city for help.
“We asked for an additional crossing guard, I don’t know if that’s feasible. We asked for an additional police presence. I know that they’ve been there in the weeks following the accident, which has been super helpful,” said Shupe
Farr West Mayor Ken Phippen said the roads are under the Utah Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction, so they are limited in the things they can do. But one of the ways they’ve tried to make the area safer is by stationing a crossing guard at the intersection.
“It’s almost ironic that we need a crossing guard at a light at an intersection,” said Phippen.
But UDOT is trying to help. It will be lowering the speed limit on 2700 North from 45 mph to 40 mph.
“Lowering the speed limit at the section near this intersection is going to help. After that happens, we’ll continue to monitor it,” said Mitch Shaw with UDOT.
However, Shupe was hoping both roads in that intersection would get a speed reduction. So far UDOT does not have plans to reduce the speed on 2000 West.
Shaw said drivers bear a lot of the responsibility for how dangerous the intersection has become.
“We can do all the engineering in the world but if people are going to make just really poor decisions behind the wheel, that limits the effectiveness of what we do,” said Shaw.
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