2 people killed in early morning accident near Lindon

LINDON — Two people were killed in a crash on northbound I-15 early Tuesday.

Just before 3:30 a.m., a 2010 Jeep Cherokee with five occupants, including two toddlers, struck the back of another vehicle, possibly a semitrailer, on I-15 near Lindon, said Utah Highway Patrol trooper Cameron Roden.

The accident disabled the Jeep, turning it sideways across two lanes, he said. The driver got out of the car to look at the damage. Just as he did that, a bread delivery truck broadsided the Jeep.

Maria Esther, 67, of St. George, and Aquistin Isas Rios, 76, of Ogden, were declared dead at the scene. Two young boys, ages 3 and 4, were not injured. Neither the driver of the Jeep who had stepped out of the vehicle nor the delivery driver were injured, Roden said.

The family in the Jeep was reportedly driving from St. George to Ogden. Roden did not know Tuesday if drowsy driving played a role in the initial accident when the Jeep rear-ended the first vehicle. That vehicle continued driving, and investigators had not located it as of Tuesday morning.

Northbound I-15 near Lindon had several lane closures for about three hours while investigators and emergency crews responded, severely slowing the morning commute.

— Pat Reavy