Funeral Held For Teen Killed In Crash in Big Cottonwood Canyon

WEST JORDAN, Utah – Friends and family gathered Sunday to celebrate a 16-year-old girl who died during a mother/daughter camping trip in Big Cottonwood Canyon after a car crashed into the back of a pick-up truck where they were sleeping.

The memorial service for Sierra Chacon was held at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan.

“She was a perfect granddaughter who loved everyone,” said Sierra Chacon’s Grandmother CarolAnn Gudjenova in an exclusive interview with KSL 5 news.

Sierra Chacon was on the trip for her 16th birthday on August 17th. She and her mother were in the back of their pick-up truck in a designated parking area near the Butler Fork Trailhead sleeping. That’s when officials said a Chevrolet Malibu lost control, left the roadway, and crashed into the back of the truck.

“And roll over the top of them, kept going and dug a big trench in the mountainside and hit a tree,” said Gudjenova.

Gudjenova says the pair had actually gone to other camp sites but weren’t able to find any available.

“They went up to Brighton and there weren’t any campsites up there so they came down to Butler Fork Trail and backed their car in, their truck in, it has a shell on it and they were asleep and what happened is the accident killed my little Sierra,” Gudjenova said.

Sierra Chacon’s mother, Brandilee Chacon, was severely injured.

“Her mother lays critically ill in the hospital and the first thing that she mouthed to us was ‘God saved me,’ because she has a little boy at home,” Gudjenova said.

As to the vehicle at fault, four passengers were inside and police suspect alcohol may have been at play. The investigation continues to determine who the driver was.

In the meantime, Gudjenova has a message for other families, “I want them to love their family and hang onto their grandchildren and love them because they can be gone in a minute,” Gudjenova said.

The Chacon family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the non-profit Spyhop.