4 people transported to hospitals after head-on collision

Four "lucky" people were transported to hospitals in stable condition Tuesday night after a high-speed, head-on crash in West Jordan, said Don Hutson, Salt Lake sheriff's spokesman.

The two vehicles, a Ford Mustang and a Jeep Cherokee, collided "dead-square head on" on Bacchus Highway at 7000 South, Hutson said.

Hutson said witnesses saw the 19-year-old male driver of the Mustang swerve it into the northbound lane where it struck the Cherokee driven by a man whose wife and 5-year-old boy were passengers.

Witnesses rushed to the wreckage where the driver of the Mustang was trapped in the crumpled metal as the engine compartment caught fire.

"One of the witnesses was a hero in all this," Hutson said. "He was able to get in there and extinguish the flames and save this young man."

West Jordan Fire authorities cut a hole in the Mustang's roof to extract the trapped young man.

The north-south highway, which serves as a major West-side artery, was shutdown in both directions while three helicopters flew in to transport three of the accident victims to hospitals. The 5-year-old was taken by ambulance to Pioneer Valley Hospital then later taken by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Medical Center.

The boy was in a "properly installed" car seat in the Jeep's rear seat, Hutson said. "There's no question it (the car seat) worked here."

The highway was still shut down at 10 p.m. and police said it would not open for another few hours.

—Jacob Hancock