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DRAPER, Utah, Dec. 27, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A Draper Fire Department chief was hit and injured Thursday evening while responding to a traffic accident on Southbound Interstate 15 near 14600 South.
The highway was shut down so a medical helicopter could land and transport the battalion chief, whose name has not been released, to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. Sgt. Nick Street, Utah Highway Patrol, initially told Gephardt Daily the battalion chief has broken bones, but an update later in the evening indicates that is not the case. The update indicates the chief was communicating with those that had gathered at the hospital and is in stable condition.
A tweet from the Utah Highway Patrol at 10:30 p.m. said: “Great news! Our firefighter brother is doing great! Reports are that he doesn’t have any severe injuries. He may be released from the hospital shortly. Thank you to all of Utah’s first responders for their efforts above and beyond the call of duty on this challenging day!”
The auto-pedestrian crash occurred just after 8 p.m., Street said. The chief was out assisting a car that had previously crashed when another car lost control, went into the left shoulder and pinned him into the car that he was checking on.
It’s not clear at this time how fast the vehicle was going that hit the battalion chief.
The freeway has been shut down south of Bluffdale at mile post 288, Street said. He added some of I-15 southbound may not reopen until 11 p.m. since investigators need to complete some “lengthy scene diagramming” to determine exactly what occurred.
Drivers are being advised to take Redwood Road or another alternative route. Traffic is currently backed up to Bangerter Highway.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
