A crash in Millard County on Sunday, July 25, 2021, claimed six lives. Photo credit. Utah Highway Patrol.
KANOSH, Utah– Four adults and four children under the age of 15 were killed in a massive pile-up on I-15 in Millard County Sunday, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
Troopers say high winds blew dust and sand onto the roadway, creating low visibility. By the time police and first responders arrived at I-15 between Meadow and Kanosh, 22 cars had crashed.
UHP says five of the eight people who died were riding in one car, two who died were in another car, and the eighth death was in a third car.
Authorities released the identities of eight who died in the collision:
Since releasing the names of the crash victims, UHP made a correction to Richard Lorenzon, 51, of Salt Lake City.
More than 10 people were flown to nearby hospitals in critical condition.
Utah is no stranger to impaired visibility throughout the four seasons.
“We do have fog in the wintertime. We do have heavy rains, which will cause low visibility. We’ll have situations with wildfires and smoke drifting across the roadway,” described Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cameron Roden.
Speed is the most dangerous of all compounding factors when it’s hard to see through your windshield.
“If you spot a road hazard, you won’t have the time to react to that,” said Sgt. Roden. “If necessary, and you can see it coming, it may be necessary for you to exit the freeway and wait out the situation for it to pass.”
Sgt. Roden says you should never stop your car in the middle of the road if visibility becomes poor. Also, using your high beams might reflect more light off the fog, dust, rain, or snow. Roden advises you should always keep your lights on but might want to double-check to see if high beams make visibility worse.