3 injured in 2 crashes on S.L. County freeways

A busy night on Monday was followed by a busy morning Tuesday for Utah Highway Patrol troopers.

At least two major accidents on the freeways injured three people. The biggest happened at about 6 a.m. Tuesday on westbound I-80 near the offramp to the Bangerter Highway.

Two semitrailer-trucks collided, causing one to roll over. The accident caused the closure of part of the freeway for nearly five hours.

A general freight semitrailer-truck missed the exit to the Bangerter Highway and was slowing down to cut across the dirt median onto the road, said UHP trooper Jeff Nigbur.

But the trailer didn't have any lights on the back, he said. While the truck was slowing down, it was rear-ended hard by another semi with a belly dump.

The collision caused the belly dump to roll and the other trailer to lose some of its load. About 50 to 100 gallons of fuel spilled onto the road and median because of a ruptured fuel tank.

The drivers of both vehicles were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The accident followed another serious crash several hours earlier.

About 11:40 p.m. Monday, a car going about 70 mph crashed into a barricade on a U-201 offramp near 6000 West.

The man was flown to a local hospital in critical condition. The ramp was reopened about two hours later.