Photo: Utah Highway Patrol
SALT LAKE CITY — A fiery wreck involving a semi and train tracks next to a busy freeway causes a lot of headaches for drivers and for train passengers in Davis County. However, troopers are just happy no one was seriously hurt.
The crash happened on the southbound I-15 ramp interchange to I-215’s west side. Utah Highway Patrol said a semi and a maroon car collided.
“Somehow, the two side-swiped and became connected, forcing the semi to take the turn sharper than it needed to,” according to UHP Sergeant Nick Street.
Street added, “It ended up going down the embankment across the south side of a business there and onto the railroad tracks where the semi caught fire.”
Both drivers were able to get out of their vehicles with only minor injuries. The cab of the semi burned to the ground.
Street says they really lucked out with the timing of the crash. Had their been a train approaching, this could have been deadly.
“No serious problems to trains. Nobody on trains at the time the semi came through,” said Street.
UTA officials later said the damage to their tracks wasn’t nearly as bad as what happened to those belonging to Union Pacific, so Frontrunner trains were able to run again, although slower through the crash site.