Couple killed in collision attempting U-turn on I-80

A Salt Lake couple died Thursday after they apparently turned their vehicle into the path of a semi-trailer truck in an attempt to make a U-turn on I-80.

Killed were:

James Osborne, 55, and his wife, Catherine Osborne, 53.

The accident happened about 11:20 a.m. near the Salt Lake City International Airport. The victims apparently tried to cut across three or four lanes of traffic to get to the center median to make a U-turn, said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Shawn Judd.

The pickup they were driving was traveling westbound and the driver apparently did not see a semitrailer-truck also traveling westbound in the middle lane, he said.

The semi had no time to brake and crashed into the driver's side of the pickup, killing the man. Witnesses reportedly tried to help his wife but she was declared dead at the scene as well, Judd said.

"That's exactly why it's illegal to make a U-turn on the interstate," Judd said, noting an exit at Wright Brothers Drive was about two minutes away.

Westbound I-80 was shut down for more than two hours between the Bangerter Highway and Wright Brothers Drive while officials investigated the accident and cleaned up the debris.

With evidence of the accident in sight, some motorists tried to do U-turns on a grassy median to avoid the long backup created by road closures until a UHP trooper put a stop to it.

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