UPDATE: Salt Lake City Man Fatally Injured After Hitting Truck On I-15 Identified

A 77-year-old Salt Lake City man died Monday afternoon after he drifted off the right shoulder of I-15 in Murray and hit a disabled pickup truck. Photo: Gephardt Daily

Noren, 77, sustained fatal injuries after driving his car at highway speeds into the back of a disabled pickup truck that had pulled to the right side of the road near 4800 South.

“What we had was a Ford F-150 northbound on I-15,” said Beau Mason, Utah Highway Patrol trooper. “They sustained a flat tire, so two male occupants inside the vehicle, they pulled over to the right-hand shoulder, and were both inside their vehicle at that time.

“A gray Chevy Malibu car was traveling northbound as well, with a 77-year-old male driver. For an unknown reason, he drifted off the right shoulder and struck the rear of the pickup truck.”

Noren was unconscious and non-responsive at the scene, Mason said.

“He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” Mason said. “The driver and passenger of the pickup sustained minor to no injuries, and will be fine.”

The men in the truck are residents of the Salt Lake Valley, the trooper added.

Mason said investigators will try to determine whether the victim had a medical problem or was a distracted driver.

“We don’t know why he left his lane of travel,” the trooper said, adding that the victim, now identified as Noren, was not wearing a seat belt.

Mason said there is little drivers can do when their vehicles become disabled.

“If you can get off the freeway, get off the freeway,” he said. “A freeway is not a safe place to be parked. If you don’t have any other choice, the best thing you can do is stay in your vehicle and wait for help, whether it’s a tow truck or one of our troopers.”

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