2 hospitalized following I-80 accident

Two men remain hospitalized Sunday following a head-on collision Saturday night police say was caused by a suspected impaired driver who entered I-80 headed the wrong direction.

Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Steve Winward said Sunday that 19-year-old Gabriel Samuel drove up the I-80/I-15 off-ramp at 600 South in Salt Lake City and headed westbound into traffic with his lights off and collided with an eastbound vehicle about 10:30 p.m.

Samuel was airlifted to Intermountain Medical Center in critical condition. The driver of the other vehicle suffered a broken leg and was transported by ambulance to University of Utah hospital where he remains in serious condition. Winward said Samuel underwent emergency surgery Saturday night and was still in critical condition Sunday.

Winward said evidence gathered in the incident resulted in a DUI charge and arrest of Samuel, who will be taken into custody on release from the hospital.

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