SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, Aug. 13, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Six people survived a rollover wreck late Sunday afternoon, and officials credit seat belts with saving their lives.
The accident happened at about 5:45 p.m. near milepost 138 on westbound Interstate 80.
A Utah Highway Patrol news release states that a 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 was towing a fifth-wheel travel trailer, about 21 feet long, as well as a 21-foot boat.
On the descent from Parley’s Summit, the boat trailer started to sway. The driver tried to correct this, but the trailing units began swaying heavily. This caused the truck to go out of control and slide left into the median, where the truck and travel trailer rolled.
The truck came to rest on its left side, and the boat trailer became disconnected and also slid into the median.
The UHP release says all six occupants were properly restrained. Five of them had minor or no injuries, and a 6-year-old boy in the rear middle seat had a broken left arm.
The release ends with: “Buckling up truly saved lives today.”
I’m glad no one was seriously injured, but towing two 21-foot trailers behind a pickup truck sounds extremely unsafe, not just for the occupants of the pickup but also everyone else on the road. Can this be legal?