One Killed In SR 201 Crash After Ladder Falls From Truck, UHP Says
Apr 20, 2020, 11:21 AM | Updated: 3:02 pm
A Saratoga Springs man was killed in a crash on S.R. 201 Monday after a ladder fell from a pickup truck, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. (UHP)
(UHP)
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – One person was killed in a crash on state Route 201 that occurred after a ladder fell off a pickup truck, according to officials with the Utah Highway Patrol.
The crash happened around 10 a.m. Monday at milepost 10 on westbound S.R. 201 in West Valley City. The westbound lanes were closed as officials worked at the scene but have since been reopened.
Troopers said a white Ford F150 pickup truck was hauling construction materials and lost a ladder in the middle lane.
The truck stopped in the far left lane to retrieve the ladder as cars began swerving to avoid the ladder.
A blue Honda Civic was also traveling in the far left lane and troopers said it did not have enough time to stop and rear-ended the truck before ending up in the middle lane.
A black Honda Odyssey was traveling in the middle lane and hit the Civic. Troopers said the minivan lost control, hit the concrete median and rolled once.
The driver of the Civic, who troopers identified as 25-year-old Lance Budge of Saratoga Springs, was killed in the crash.
The two occupants of the minivan were wearing their seatbelts and suffered minor injuries.
“UHP encourages those hauling materials in external locations on their vehicles to consistently check and double-check that those materials are properly secured,” troopers said in a release. “Rubber bungee-style tie-downs don’t last forever, they rot over time due to environmental exposure and must be replaced often. For this reason, a more secure method of tying down externally secured items should be utilized.”
Troopers also said they see road debris on a daily basis. They encouraged drivers to maintain a proper following distance and drive at or below the posted speed limit.
“In this incident, road debris contributed to a fatal crash. Motorists should expect to encounter debris on our state’s roadways. Maintaining a speed at or below the posted speed limit, ensuring at least two seconds following distance and looking down the roadway 12-15 seconds ahead of where you’re currently driving, are all ways to provide oneself more time to react to situations like road debris.
