WOODS CROSS, Utah, Aug. 31, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Highway Patrol officials have now have identified all three three victims killed in a fiery crash Friday morning on southbound Interstate 15 in Woods Cross.
Killed were Samantha Sanchez, 23, of West Jordan and her passenger, Paul Joseph Durocher, 40, of Draper. They were in a Hyundai Elantra, which was struck by a Ford pickup being driven north in a southbound lane of I-15.
The pickup driver, also killed, has now been identified as Kristina Marie Colindres, 24, West Valley City.
The accident was first reported to 911 dispatchers about 1:15 a.m. When rescue crews arrived they found two heavily damaged vehicles, including a burning truck in the southbound lanes near mile marker 316.
According to UHP Lt. Mike McKay, the F-150 pickup truck was reported headed north in the southbound lanes of I-15 when seconds later it hit a small Hyundai passenger car head-on.
McKay said the F-150 caught fire after the crash and was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
Sanchez and Durocher were dead when they were found, as was the pickup driver. Investigators could not initially identify the gender of the truck driver, now known to be Colindres.
Paul Durocher was our brother and we on the east coast are still being notified of his death in this tragic accident and mourn his passing.
We want you to know we are praying for all the families who have been impacted by this tragic loss of life.
Please be sensitive in comments made on public websites as we found out about our brothers passing on Facebook posts and other family members haven’t been reached yet.
Our hearts go out to his beloved children who loved their Dad unmeasurablely.
Thank you