Mom and 8 children hurt in Spanish Fork Canyon crash

SPANISH FORK — A mother and her eight children were taken to the hospital Sunday after an accident on the icy roads in Spanish Fork Canyon.

Joni Stoddard, 35, from Elmo, was in a van traveling east and about a mile into the canyon around 4 p.m. when her Dodge Caravan went out of control, said Utah Highway Patrol trooper Cameron Roden.

Police believe the van was traveling too fast for the icy, slick conditions on U.S. 6, and subsequently it crossed over into the westbound lanes of traffic and was T-boned by an oncoming Ford F-350.

Two children were ejected and one young boy was flown to Primary Children's Medical Center in pretty bad shape, Roden said, although Monday morning he appeared to be doing much better.

Stoddard was flown to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in critical condition, although Roden said he believes she will survive.

The rest of the children were taken by ambulance to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center where they were cleared Sunday night, Roden said.

The driver of the truck, a 60-year-old man from Springville, was not injured and was not cited.

All of U.S. 6 was closed for around an hour while the crews got the victims out, then the westbound lanes were kept closed for roughly another hour while officers finished up the investigation.

Police say most of the children were not wearing seat belts, and there were two children sharing the front seat.

Roden said the case will be sent to the Utah County Attorney's Office for screening.

— Sara Israelsen-Hartley