Two Major Crashes On I-15 Highlight Road Safety Issues

In the aftermath and clean-up of one serious crash, another major traffic accident happened Wednesday morning in Southern Utah.

Crash No. 1

Multiple people were injured early Wednesday morning after a stolen pickup truck rolled on Interstate 15 near Leeds, Utah.

Utah Highway Patrol says the crash happened just before 6 a.m. near mile marker 22. A white pickup veered left while heading south, slammed into the concrete barrier, and then rolled into northbound lanes -- finally coming to rest on its tires along the shoulder.

There were three people in the truck, and all sustained injuries.

One woman was hospitalized in serious to critical condition but is now stable.

The two other passengers suffered moderate injuries.

Authorities say the truck had been reported stolen, and the incident remains under investigation.

The crash briefly disrupted traffic in both directions, but all lanes were reopened by 8 a.m.

Crash No. 2

About two hours after the initial crash, a three-vehicle collision on northbound Interstate 15 in Leeds left another driver critically injured Wednesday morning.

The second crash happened just before 8 a.m.

A Utah Department of Transportation street sweeper was clearing debris from the earlier accident when it was struck from behind by a Nissan passenger car.

The impact sent the street sweeper spinning sideways, and moments later, the Nissan was hit by a silver Jeep, causing severe damage to the vehicle.

The driver of the Nissan was trapped and critically injured. Emergency crews freed the driver and transported them to St. George Regional Hospital.

The Jeep driver suffered minor injuries, and the street sweeper operator was unharmed.

The second crash briefly impacted northbound traffic near Leeds but has since been cleared.

Many local residents remember perhaps the most serious crash at mile marker 22. Just over two years ago a wrong-way driver collided head-on with another car at MM 22, killing both drivers on impact.

Six years ago, a driver in a Hyundai Veloster struck a horse that had wandered onto the freeway in the same area. Thirty-year-old Jessica M Deane, who was driving the Hyundai, and was traveling alone, died on impact.