TOOELE COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 21, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — One person was killed and another is seriously injured after a crash on Interstate 80 in Tooele County early Friday morning.
The driver of the SUV involved in the crash, identified as Skyler Sange, 26, from West Valley City, was killed by the impact of colliding with a semi-truck. The passenger, identified as Ronald Bennett, 22, from Salt Lake City, was critically injured and was transported to Mountain West Medical Center.
Utah Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Todd Royce said the incident happened at approximately 5:30 a.m. when a black SUV was exiting State Route 201 to enter westbound I-80, and the driver lost control.
The driver entered a rest area at the side of I-80 at a high rate of speed and struck a concrete barrier on the right side of the entrance to the rest area. This impact caused the vehicle to slide sideways through the rest area. As it slid, the driver side of the car impacted the trailer of a semi-truck parked in the rest area.
Early indications from the scene are that the two people in the SUV may have been arguing just prior to hitting the semi-truck.
The driver of the semi-truck, Yoel Barreto, 30, from Tampa, Florida, was asleep in the sleeper berth and was uninjured.
Troopers believe alcohol impairment contributed to the collision.
