WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Oct. 19, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — The West Valley City Police Department has released the name of a 69-year-old man who died Saturday night in a four-vehicle crash in West Valley City after leaving the scene of an earlier accident.
The man who died was Peni Palei, the WVCPD statement says.
“Palei rear ended a vehicle, then fled,” it says. “He then hit another vehicle head-on, and was killed in the crash. Others involved suffered only minor injuries.”
According to West Valley City Police Sgt. Rose, the “domino-effect” crash happened about 8:50 p.m. at the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 3100 South.
A driver, now identified as Palei, was driving through the intersection when his vehicle struck another car, which was pushed into a third vehicle, causing minor damage.
Palei’s vehicle then continued westbound on 3100 South and 3900 West, where it collided head-on with a pickup truck. Palei was extricated from his vehicle and transported to a hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries, Rose said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
