OREM, Utah, Dec. 19, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Highway Patrol has released the name of a wrong-way driver killed Sunday in a head-on collision with a UHP trooper.
The driver who died was Provo resident Natalie Munchgesang, age 26. At about 1:51 a.m., dispatch was alerted to a wrong-way driver, traveling north in southbound lanes of Interstate 15, near milepost 269.
“Trooper (Carlos) Rios-Redd was stationary just north of the area and started heading that way,” a UHP statement says. “As Trooper Rios-Redd was traveling southbound on I-15, before any additional information could be gathered or broadcast to him, the Trooper’s vehicle and the wrong-way vehicle collided head-on near milepost 271.
“Other responding Troopers were not far behind. When Trooper (Benjamin) Fagan arrived at the scene, he checked on the condition of Trooper Rios-Redd. As he did so, he noticed the vehicle was on fire. Trooper Fagan broke out the driver’s window in an attempt to extricate Trooper Rios-Redd from the patrol car.”
The fire was growing and Fagan retrieved an extinguisher to subdue the fire, the statement says. The troopers were able to eventually get the car door open and Trooper Fagan removed Trooper Rios-Redd and moved him to a safer location.”
The wrong-way driver, later identified as Munchgesang, “sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene,” the UHP statement says. “The adult female passenger of that vehicle was transported by ground to an area hospital in critical condition. Initially a medical helicopter was requested but never landed at the scene. Trooper Rios-Redd was also transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”
Southbound I-15 in the area remained closed for seven to eight hours. The Utah County Critical Incident Team is conducting an investigation into this incident because of the trooper’s involvement.
Court records show that on July 15 of this year, Munchgesang had been arrested for investigation of alleged crimes including driving under the influence, second offense in 10 years; driving on suspended or revoked license; alcohol restricted driver; failure to install ignition interlock device; failure to display license plate; and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. The case was ongoing at the time of her death.
A GoFundMe account that says it was established to help Munchgesang’s partner raise their three children, reportedly ages 2, 4 and 6, can be viewed here. As in all cases, Gephardt Daily cannot guarantee funds will be used for the stated purpose.
In a X post issued Sunday afternoon, Gov. Spencer Cox praised Rio-Redd and Fagan because they “responded without hesitation. At freeway speeds and on a blind dip, the car appeared sooner than expected and Trooper Redd took it head on.
“Trooper Redd suffered a broken femur and ankle and was incapacitated while his car caught fire. Fortunately, Trooper Fagan arrived shortly thereafter. He immediately extinguished the fire, broke the window with his hand and pulled Redd out as the cab was consumed in smoke.”
Cox titled his post “Hero alert.”
Gephardt Daily will have additional information as more details are released.
