I-15 pileup forces brief freeway closure; no injuries reported

BEAVER — A major pileup on I-15 forced the brief closure of the freeway Saturday afternoon. Officials reported no serious injuries.

Department of Public Safety authorities reported heavy snow falling near Beaver about 4 p.m. Two semitrailer trucks jackknifed on northbound I-15, said spokesman Jesse Valenzuela. That set off a chain-reaction accident involving 10 other vehicles, he said.

The interstate was shut down for about 20 minutes as wreckers and emergency crews arrived at the scene, Valenzuela said. Then it was shut down periodically for the next couple of hours as wrecked cars were removed from the road.

Wednesday, three people were killed in Washington County following a series of accidents involving about 20 vehicles. The initial crash happened on I-15 when a semitrailer couldn't stop in time on icy roads and smashed into the rear of a car, sandwiching it between another semitrailer.

— Pat Reavy