BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Aug. 15, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The driver of an SUV is dead, and three of her passengers severely injured after a dump truck collided with their vehicle near mile marker 5 in Big Cottonwood Canyon Monday morning.
The woman, believed to be in her late 50s or early 60s, died at the scene of the 9:25 a.m. collision, according to Unified Police public information officer Sgt. Melody Cutler.
A 4-year-old boy inside the SUV suffered extremely critical injuries and was transported by medical helicopter to an area hospital. A 2-year-old girl who was in the SUV was transported by ground ambulance in serious condition.
An adult female, believed to be in her 30s, also a passenger in the SUV, was taken to the hospital by ground ambulance in critical condition, Cutler said.
The driver of the dump truck was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
“There was a dump truck headed down Big Cottonwood Canyon, and what he’s telling us is that he lost his brakes and so he was going to attempt to do like a makeshift runaway trickling into the side of the mountain.”
The dump truck crossed the center line, heading into a westbound lane, Cutler said.
“Unfortunately, as we come around this curve here, it’s at Split Rock, as we all know, is very, very limited visibility coming through. There was a vehicle traveling up that canyon, and, unfortunately, this happened at the exact same time… and those two vehicles collided.”
Cutler said it is likely the group in the white Honda SUV were family members, but it’s early in the investigation, and relationships have yet to be confirmed.
“We currently have our collision analysis reconstruction team out here and they’re doing an investigation. The canyon will be closed in both directions for several hours,” Cutler said.
The dump truck driver will be tested for drugs and alcohol, which is standard procedure, Cutler said, adding that there is no evidence he was impaired at the time of the crash.
Cutler said Guardsman Pass may be the best option for drivers needing to travel east or west while the roadway is closed.
