SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 16, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Two West High School seniors have been killed and a third senior, as well as a pregnant woman, are in serious condition after a head-on collision near 700 N. 300 West Thursday morning, police said.
Detective Cody Lougy with the Salt Lake City Police Department said a blue Chevy Impala was traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on 300 West just after 11 a.m. and for some reason jumped the median, crossed over into the southbound lane and struck a Honda Pilot head-on.
Of the three West students in the blue Chevy, two were 18 or older and one was a younger teenager. Police have not confirmed which of the three students was driving. The driver has been taken to the hospital in serious condition and his two male passengers were deceased at the scene.
Lougy said accident investigators have preliminary information that the blue Chevy was traveling at least 70 mph.
He said the driver of the Honda Pilot is a 32-year-old female who was between six and eight months pregnant. Lougy said Thursday afternoon that both the mother and baby are in serious condition, though he would not confirm whether the infant has been delivered.
Lougy said some witnesses said it appeared the blue Chevy was possibly racing, or chasing a third car, or just traveling at a high rate of speed. There have been unconfirmed reports of a gray vehicle that may have been involved, and then fled the scene.
“We’re asking residents if they were in this area if they witnessed it, we’re asking the driver of that vehicle — this is the end result of two young individuals losing their lives, so we’re asking that driver of that gray vehicle to come back, or to give us a call, so we can talk to that individual and find out the answers to this puzzle and put the pieces together,” Lougy said.
Lougy said the Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team (CART) was on scene to reconstruct the accident, and 300 West was closed from 600 North to 800 North, including both intersections, while the accident scene was processed. As of 3:15 p.m., all lanes of 300 West are open.
“Our prayers are with the families of all involved,” the SLCPD said in a tweet Thursday afternoon.
SLC School District also tweeted Thursday afternoon: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in this accident and their families.”
The district also said counselors will be on hand Friday at the school, which is located at 241 N. 300 West.
None of those involved in the accident have been identified.
To share information about this incident, please call the SLCPD, at 801-799-3000.
