LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, UTAH – September 26, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – A 16-year-old girl is in serious condition with head injuries and a concussion after a rollover accident in Little Cottonwood Canyon this afternoon.
Unified Police Detective Jared Richardson said officials responded to the rollover accident near Tanner’s Flat about four and a half miles up from the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon just before 1 p.m. Witnesses said the vehicle was traveling downhill and as it neared Tanner’s Flat, the one-lane road opened up into two lanes. Witnesses said the vehicle appeared to be going above the speed limit, and behind the vehicle was another gray vehicle that was following closely. The gray vehicle passed the witnesses heading down the canyon, and when the road went back to one lane, it appeared the gray vehicle cut in front of the victim’s vehicle, causing it to fishtail.
The victim made it down about another turn and a half before hitting the right embankment which snagged the vehicle, flipping it over one full rotation before it came to rest on its roof.
The vehicle had two occupants–both 16-year-old girls coming down the mountain after a day of activities. The passenger was able to get out of the vehicle and was released to her parents. The driver needed assistance from Unified Fire and was taken to a local hospital in serious condition with head injuries and a concussion.
“We are very fortunate this accident didn’t become worse,” Richardson said. “The canyon is very busy today because of activities up the canyon.”
Police are hoping that the large volume of traffic in the canyon means others may have information on the gray vehicle, as police are still trying to find out if that vehicle may have caused the accident.
Anyone with information is asked to call UPD Dispatch at 801.743.7000.
