Rain is blamed in crash on I-15

SPANISH FORK — Rain was blamed for a Thursday accident on I-15 that closed all but one lane of the freeway for 90-minutes.

The driver of a car travelling south lost control, crossed the center median and slammed into a semi-trailer truck travelling in the northbound lanes. The impact caused the truck to cross through the median into the southbound lanes where it struck another semi-trailer truck, said Utah Highway Patrol trooper Mason Haycock.

The driver of the car, described as an elderly man, was in critical condition after being pinned in his vehicle but was described as alert and oriented when he was taken to Mountain View Hospital, Mason said. The driver of the first truck was also injured, suffering an apparent broken arm and bruising.

Two other trucks were forced off the road but were not involved in the accident. A second accident involving a rear-end collision of two semi-trailer trucks occurred about a quarter-mile from the original accident site and was blamed on the backing traffic. Traffic was backed for nearly three miles in each direction.