UHP identifies 2 killed in Spanish Fork Canyon

THISTLE, Utah County — Authorities have identified the two people who were traveling from Texas to Oregon and were killed when the car in which they were riding collided with a semitrailer truck Saturday morning.

Joyce Finley, 75, Lebanon, Mo., and James Staneart, 52, Dublin, Texas, were pronounced dead at the scene, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Ted Tingey said in a statement.

About 8:15 a.m. Saturday, Finley and Staneart were riding in a station wagon driven by Patsy Clark, 73, of Stephensville, Texas, westbound on U.S. 6 near Thistle Junction, about eight miles outside of Spanish Fork. Clark may have fallen asleep, Tingey said, drifted into the opposite lane of travel and into the path of the semitrailer.

The driver of the semitrailer, Lewis Capell, 51, of West Valley City, was hauling bricks eastbound. He tried to avoid the station wagon but was unable to do so. They collided, causing the station wagon to spin off the road. The semitrailer went into the opposite lanes of travel, Tingey said.

The impact caused severe damage to the passenger side of the station wagon where Finley and Staneart were located. Everyone was wearing a seat belt except for Staneart, who was lying down on the back seat of the station wagon, Tingey said.

Clark has neck and back injuries and was transported by helicopter to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo in serious condition.

Capell received minor injuries. An ambulance took him to Mountain View Hospital in Payson.

U.S. 6 was closed for about three hours during the investigation and cleanup, Tingey said.

Speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash, Tingey said.

— Laura Hancock