One dead, others seriously injured in fiery crash on I-70
Oct 31, 2021, 4:10 PM
(Utah Department of Public Safety)
GRAND COUNTY, Utah — A wrong-way driver was killed in a fiery head-on crash on Interstate 70 overnight in southeast Utah.
The incident happened near milepost 222, nine miles west of the Utah-Colorado border, around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Officials with the Utah Department of Public Safety said a Kia SUV was traveling the wrong direction in the westbound lanes of traffic when it struck a large box truck head-on.
Following the collision, both vehicles caught fire.
Driver Alert: I-70 WB is closed at MP 222 – 9 mi west of UT/CO border. Use an alternate route or delay travel if possible. Check the UDOT Traffic App and @waze for updates. @UDOTRegionFour @UtahTrucking @UtahDOT
— UDOT Traffic (@UDOTTRAFFIC) October 31, 2021
DPS officials said the driver of the SUV was declared dead on scene, while the occupants in the box truck sustained serious injuries.
Details about how many people were involved and the extent of their injuries was not immediately available.
Westbound lanes of I-70 were closed for more than three and a half hours due to the fire, but it has since re-opened, according to DPS.
The victim’s identity has not been released.