Road rage crash kills 2 from Salt Lake County in Eagle Mountain
Jun 4, 2023, 2:25 PM | Updated: Jun 6, 2023, 12:57 pm
EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — Two people are dead after a collision on a Utah County highway that began as a road rage confrontation.
A 48-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman from Salt Lake County were killed in the wreck near Eagle Mountain on state Route 73 Sunday afternoon, said the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
Victims killed in Utah County road rage-caused collision identified
Sgt. Spencer Cannon said the drivers in a 2016 Ford F-150 pickup truck and a white 2014 Nissan Maxima, both driving alone in their vehicles, “had been involved in a road rage incident of some kind starting down at the City Center near the rodeo grounds in Eagle Mountain.”
“The truck then reportedly began tailgating the passenger car,” Cannon said. “That lasted about file miles on Eagle Mountain Boulevard.”
He explained that the two continued their road spat for several miles, up Eagle Mountain Boulevard and onto S.R. 73 around 1:30 p.m. S.R. 73 is one of the county’s main highways west of Utah Lake.
As the two headed eastbound on S.R. 73, he said the truck sped behind the car, then drove into the shoulder and rammed the car from the side.
One of the two vehicles identified as being involved in the road rage incident (KSL TV)
Cannon explained that the driver of the car slammed on his brakes, and the driver of the truck “lost control, went across the center line and crashed head-on into a vehicle that was driving westbound.”
Cannon said the truck crashed into a 1987 Porsche 911 with a man and woman inside, killing them on the scene. He described how the man and woman were part of a local Porsche club driving with several vehicles out for a leisurely Sunday cruise.
The truck that crashed into the oncoming car, killing two people (KSL TV)
The driver “that lost control that was involved in the road rage has been taken to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray with non-life-threatening injuries,” Cannon said.
He will go to jail, Cannon said, likely on multiple charges in the fatal crash. He said he wasn’t sure if the driver of the car would be charged as well.
“It does appear the driver of the pickup was the primary aggressor in this case. The driver of the car, the Nissan, though, was involved,” Cannon said.
The names of the two who died haven’t been released.
Cannon added that one of the best things one can do is call 911 in these situations. Pulling over is also an option.
“People don’t want to physically engage with another driver,” he said. “They want to show their aggression towards them and get on with it and be done. They want to win the battle, and this is not a contest. This is not a war.”
BACK TO BASICS: Remembering and following the basics of safe driving can prevent crashes and fatalities on the road. Some of the basics include: always wearing a seat belt, obeying road signs and traffic signals, keeping a safe distance from vehicles, maintaining a reasonable speed and avoiding texting or eating while driving so you can be aware of your surroundings. Click to read more.
