CLEARFIELD, Utah, Jan. 28, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A 40-year-old Clearfield man died Thursday night after his speeding car plowed through the front of a commercial building.
Officers were called to 101 N. Main St. at about 8:20 p.m., Lt. Scott Manookin, Clearfield Police Department, told Gephardt Daily.
The building, with storefronts on the ground floor, and apartments up above, had no tenant operating in the space where the Hyundai entered. The car went fully inside the building, and activated a sprinkler fire-suppression system, which soaked officers as they fought to extract the victim, Manookin said.
“They had to drag him away from the car to get him out of the water that was pouring down,” he said. “They attempted life saving measures, and they did transport him in an ambulance to the Davis Hospital Medical Center, and there at the hospital is where they pronounced him deceased.”
Witnesses told police the man was traveling north at a high rate of speed, and when the road curved slightly, the driver continued going straight, which put him on a collision course with the building.
“It is believed the male had a medical incident or fell asleep while driving,” Manookin said. “There was no evidence of impairment.”
Officers stayed on scene, documenting evidence, until at least 11 p.m. Some were still drenched, working in temperatures that dropped into the teens.
“The officers are just so dedicated that they continued working,” Manookin said. “One of the first officers on the scene, he continued to diagram the entire accident while he was soaking wet. It was very cold last night. And then the other officers went out and continued handling other calls that were pending while they were wet as well. Obviously, as soon as they were cleared, we sent them home to get dried and clean, but that’s the great dedication these officers showed.”
The North Davis Fire District was also vital to the operation, Manookin said.
The name of the victim has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. Gephardt Daily will have more information as it becomes available.
