SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 7, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A man and a young child had to be extricated from their vehicle Friday night after crashing into the wall on southbound Interstate 215 at 1300 South. The single-vehicle crash and rollover happened shortly after 10:30 p.m.
Utah Highway Patrol spokesman Brady Zaugg told Gephardt Daily that the man appeared to be in his “late 30s or 40-ish” and the little girl is about 4 or 5 years old.
Zaugg said both the man and the child were wearing seat belts and the car’s airbags deployed, so they weren’t terribly injured. He said the vehicle hit the wall hard, though, and “given the way the vehicle rolled and was crushed, they had to be extricated.” The extrication was done by Salt Lake City Fire Department.
The crash is still under investigation and Zaugg said it isn’t known what caused the accident. Officials were looking for skid marks or any other indication of what took place, and witnesses were filling out statements.
Zaugg said the primary concern of officers responding to an accident like this is the safety of the people. He said the vehicle wasn’t on fire, so they were able to take time to use the heavy equipment to extricate the man and girl who were pinned inside. If the vehicle had been on fire, it would have changed things drastically, he said, and they would have broken windows and done whatever was necessary to get the people out right away.
Zaugg also had some advice for anyone who sees a similar scene.
“If you actually witnessed the accident, stay on scene. You can be the best eyes we have,” he said. “If you’re just here to gawk, please move on and let us clear the scene and take care of the people who need help.”
