ECHO VALLEY, Summit County, Utah, Jan. 31, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A 58-year-old woman died Monday in a hunting-related accident in Summit County, the Sheriff’s Department says.
Deputies were called out to the area near Interstate 80 near mile marker 178 at about 11 a.m., Summit County Sheriff Lt. Andrew Wright told Gephardt Daily.
“It was a family of three out for the last day of the elk hunt,” Wright said. “The 58-year-old woman, from Salt Lake County, went and got back into a UTV that they had there, with snow tracks on it.
“There was a firearm in the UTV, and one of the hunting rifles, for whatever reason — which is part of what we’re still investigating — the firearm went off and the bullet struck her in the pelvic area.”
A family member rushed to an area where he could get cell phone service, and summoned emergency services, Wright said.
“We sent deputies and medical personnel. They did some life-saving efforts, but unfortunately they didn’t work. She died there before they were able to transport her.”
Wright said the incident appears to be “a very tragic accident.”
“We have the investigation ongoing, and of course they’ll do an autopsy, but right now it’s appearing to be a hunting accident.”
The other two family members, both males, were not injured in the incident, Wright said.
