WASHINGTON CITY — A silver Toyota Corolla struck a wheelbarrow Friday morning while traveling southbound on Interstate 15 near the off-ramp to Washington Parkway.
On the way to work at approximately 8 a.m., a man was traveling southbound on I-15 near mile marker 13 in a red Toyota Tacoma that was pulling a trailer packed with landscaping equipment. At the same time, a silver Toyota Corolla, driven by a man also on his way to work, followed behind the truck about two car lengths back, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Hintze said.
Just before the Washington Parkway Exit, a wheelbarrow tumbled off the trailer and into the road.
“If my back window wouldn’t have been open, I wouldn’t have known it fell out,” the driver of the Tacoma said. “But I heard it. It slid across the road and almost made it to the median. I wish it had.”
The two vehicles traveling directly behind the truck missed the wheelbarrow, but the silver Corolla did not have enough time to dodge it and rammed into it, Hintze said. The driver of the Corolla was able to maintain control and immediately pulled off at the Washington Parkway Exit.
“I pulled over and sprinted toward the car,” the driver of the Tacoma said.
The driver of the Corolla suffered shoulder and neck injuries but refused transport to the hospital by Gold Cross Ambulance.
The Corolla sustained minimal damage and the driver was able to drive away from the scene.
The driver of the Tacoma was cited for cargo loss.
UHP slowed southbound traffic from Exit 9 for about 10 minutes while Trooper Matthew Pratt took photos and retrieved the wheelbarrow from the side of the road.
“We get quite a few of these sort of accidents on the freeway where unsecured loads cause crashes — especially during holiday weekends when there is increased traffic,” Pratt said.
As a reminder, Pratt said those traveling during the holiday weekend need to remember to wear seat belts, drive appropriately for weather conditions, don’t drive drowsy, don’t drink and drive, properly secure loads and watch their speed.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by responders on scene and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
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HOW DARE YOU HEARTLESS UHP PEOPLE CITE THIS MAN!
It’s obvious he was out of his normal routine. Leave him be!
This man is a good, consciencous driver that had a momentary lapse in judgement about securing his load. I’m sure he’s sorry and it’s not his fault this happened.
I mean, it’s not like he KILLED someone, right?
So true, so true.
Remember that defense only applies to April.
I see it time and again. Contractors and others who are too dumb or too lazy to secure their loads. There is no excuse for it.
In the first picture, a dog is also shown on the trailer, and apparently also unsecured. How many dogs do we have to kill before owners wake up. How many dogs have to cause fatal accidents until owners wake up.
The driver of this Toyota is obviously an idiot. Unfortunately, he is in company with a whole lot of of other idiots here in Dixie. How can people be so darned stupid?
Actually, I think they should arrest the dog. …, he was back there with the wheelbarrow. Maybe he pushed it out. How many wheelbarrows have to die before we wake up People?!
Ed. ellipsis.
Yikes, that could have ended a lot worse! Glad everyone’s ok. And I love the top photo of the dog resting comfortably in the back of the trailer.
“That wheelbarrow should be put in jail and tried for attempted murder!! I’m sure it was a mormon wheelbarrow! Call it’s Bishop!” signed Bobber
Nicely done. Sounds like something the idiot would say.
I hope the trooper cited the driver for not securing his load. This happens far too often, and there are laws related to it.
Momma Pratt should pull over these vehicles with unsecured loads more often instead of sitting down hills trying to catch the unwary speeding driver. Thanks for the safety caveats momma.
C’mon Dixie guys! Show a little more intelligence with stowing your loads.
Funny , on my way into work this morning I was following this guy, I pulled up to him at a light at N. Green Springs and Red Hills Parkway, I tried to tell him his wheelbarrow was moving on his trailer . He just put his hand up at me and drove off .
Wow Randy you would think he would have heeded your warning considering it already had fallen off and caused an accident! SMH
UTard at work – great going’ (and notice the lack of trailer tailgate and that the trailer is not “packed)
Get your minds off the horses and dogs and concentrate on driving and things you are carrying in your monster trucks. Carrying stuff around and dumping it on the interstate for others to crash into doesn’t make you worthy
Just another day on the roads in St George! Two weeks ago I had to dodge a ladder that came off a truck in the North bound lane. Glad I wasn’t on my motorcycle.
Agreed. I saw this happen and was actually running late because a flag flew off a westbound truck w/ ATV on state route 9 & hit MY car. Guess I got lucky that that’s all I hit…poor guy in the car. Hope he’s ok…
2 car lengths behind going 75 mph makes him a dummy too.
Agreed! At that speed you should be at least 110 feet (distance you travel in 4 seconds) behind the vehicle in front of you, more if it’s a lighter, easier to stop vehicle (like a motorcycle) or if the road is wet or icy! Big rigs should keep twice that distance since they’re harder to stop.
WOW! I think the commentators thus far need a long weekend. (i bet the news editor
is thinking, ‘Yippee! I’m out of here for 3 days).
Wow. This warrants a news story? And all this commenter outrage. zzz. Fer cryin’ out loud, it’s the weekend! Go have fun!
A lot of the fun down in dixie is had by be inappropriate with dogs and horses or by dropping random items onto the highway and waiting for “liberals” to crash into them… lmao
WOW! This town is full of stupid!
In the County of Henrico they never enforce loose loads in fact they don’t even pull over defective homemade trailers like this on in the photos. Go to dangeroustrailers.org
Was this wheel barrow a worthy member? Did this wheel barrow have a temporary lapse in judgement? Is the dog in the trailer worthy? Has the owner been inappropriate with the dog? These are questions we may never have answers to…
I’m quite sure it GW Bush fault. Its only been 6 years since he left office, but it has to be his fault. It can’t be the driver, the dog or wheel barrel’s fault. It has to be the Corolla’s fault for being on the road or GW, since that’s the rule for our society and government now.
*thumbs up*
Or Romney ‘s fault,because the family dog tied on top of the car, throwing up and crapping itself, but take it to a car wash and spray it off.
It’s obvious he’s not a member of the worthy tithers. How do I know this? Obvious. If he was one of the worthy, it would have been a handcart, not a wheelbarrow, and he would’ve been pulling his handcart at 75mph along the interstate, not carrying in some trailer. However, there was a dog in the picture. So maybe, just maybe…