Man dies after making wrong turn at Fivemile Pass, 3 other fatal accidents this weekend

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who was camping with his family died after taking a wrong turn in the dark on a 4-wheeler.  

Wrong turn results in fatal accident

The Tooele County Sheriff’s office said a search by a Department of Public Safety helicopter began early Sunday morning, at about 1 a.m., after rescue officials were contacted by the family. That search resumed later Sunday morning in the daylight.

“We were able to find him,” Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer told KSL, “but unfortunately he’d gone over a steep embankment and was killed by the injuries sustained in that.”

Wimmer said the man was camping with his family at Fivemile Pass. He has not been identified.

“He really took a wrong turn in the dark,” Wimmer said. “He went over the berm. Probably had no idea that on the other side of it … it was very steep.”

The man fell 30 feet, Wimmer said.  His 4-wheeler likely landed on top of him.

Fivemile Pass is 14 miles west of Eagle Mountain, Utah. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Five-Mile Pass is popular for those who take part in motocross, as well as mountain biking, hiking, camping, and off-highway vehicle recreation.

Three other fatal accidents over the weekend 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only fatal accident on Sunday.

A Salt Lake City man died after crashing his motorcycle with an SUV at 1300 South and 700 East. Salt Lake Police Lieutenant Lisa Pascadlo says the driver of the SUV was not injured and was “understandably upset about the situation.”

The motorcyclist died at the scene, despite the best efforts of a passerby and paramedics.

In total, five people were killed in various Utah accidents this past weekend.

On Saturday, two Arizona men were killed when their vehicle rolled off a cliff. Moab Police Sergeant Braydon Palmer says the accident happened on the Moab Rim Jeep Trail.

Lastly, another vehicle rollover on Saturday claimed the life of a driver in Logan Canyon. 

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