WASHINGTON COUNTY — As hazardous weather conditions swept through the state Monday afternoon and evening, emergency crews were dispatched to a number of incidents along Interstate 15.
At approximately 5:32 p.m., Utah Highway Patrol was dispatched to a location on I-15 near mile marker 15 where a semitractor-trailer reportedly hit a passenger vehicle, causing the car to roll into a ditch.
The car rolled onto the right shoulder and into a ditch on the side of the road. The passenger car was damaged; the severity of the driver’s injuries is unknown at the time of this report.
Personnel from the Utah Department of Transportation responded to assist with cleanup but were dispatched to another incident before the car could be fully recovered.
Another crash near northbound mile marker 10 was reported at approximately 6:09 p.m. and involved a single vehicle that spun out of control, hitting the median dividing northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate, Utah Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Marissa Villaseñor said.
The driver complained of shoulder pain and sustained minor injuries, Villaseñor said.
Responding UDOT personnel arrived to clear debris, causing a minor traffic slowdown while they worked.
Yet another incident was reported just before 6 p.m. near mile marker 28. Two trucks collided when one of the vehicles spun out of control after hydroplaning on the drenched roadway, Villaseñor said.
No injuries were reported and the trucks sustained minor body damage.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Staying safe
The AAA Exchange recommends the following when driving in wet weather:
Avoid cruise control
When used in wet conditions, cruise control can increase the chance of losing control of the vehicle. To prevent loss of traction, the driver may need to reduce the car’s speed by lifting off the accelerator, which cannot be accomplished when cruise control is engaged.
Slow down and leave room
Slowing down during wet weather can be critical to reducing a car’s chance of hydroplaning. Drivers should reduce their speed to correspond to the amount of water on the roadway. At speeds as low as 35 mph, new tires can still lose some contact with the roadway.
To reduce chances of hydroplaning, drivers should slow down, avoid hard braking or turning sharply and drive in the tracks of the vehicle ahead of you.
Also, it’s important for motorists to allow ample stopping distance between cars by increasing the distance to the vehicle in front of them and starting early when slowing down for intersections, turns and other traffic.
Responding to a skid
If a driver feels their car begin to skid, it’s important to not panic and follow these basic steps:
- Continue to look and steer in the direction in which the driver wants the car to go.
- Avoid slamming on the brakes as this will further upset the vehicle’s balance and make it harder to control.
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Emergency crews respond after a car crashed into a median near milepost 10 on I-15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
A car lies in a ditch after reportedly being hit by a semitractor-trailer near milepost 15 on Interstate 15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
A car lies in a ditch after reportedly being hit by a semitractor-trailer near milepost 15 on Interstate 15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
A car lies in a ditch after reportedly being hit by a semitractor-trailer near milepost 15 on Interstate 15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
A car is damaged after crashing into a median near milepost 10 on I-15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
Wet conditions slow traffic along Interstate 15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
Wet conditions slow traffic along Interstate 15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
Wet conditions slow traffic along Interstate 15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
Emergency crews respond after a car crashed into a median near milepost 10 on I-15 after a storm swept through the state, Washington County, Utah, Oct. 24, 2016 | Photo by Austin Peck, St. George News
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Car not damaged like a rollover.
85mph on wet roads
85. ? Wow I didn’t think you had the ability 2 put 2gether a double digit number ! Atta boy Bob !