3 crashes slow the commute

Three major accidents Wednesday morning on Salt Lake County's freeways kept Utah Highway Patrol troopers busy and significantly slowed the commute.

Investigators say not all of the accidents appeared to be weather related.

All three crashes happened close to the 5 o'clock hour.

Just before 5 a.m., a propane tanker that was pulling a pup trailer was on the ramp going from eastbound I-80 to southbound I-15, when the pup somehow came loose and tipped onto its side, said UHP trooper Cameron Roden.

"It doesn't appear to be weather related," he said.

Fortunately, no other vehicles were near the trailer and no one was injured, Roden said. The ramp to southbound I-15 remained closed for almost the entire morning commute as crews worked to off-load an estimated 50,000 pounds of propane from the trailer before righting it.

About 5:15 a.m., in a separate accident, a semi-tractor trailer traveling eastbound on I-215 took the ramp to go southbound I-15 at the south interchange too fast for the wet conditions, Roden said.

The truck hit the left concrete barricade and crashed. No one was injured. The mail carrying truck did not split open and no mail was lost, he said.

A third accident happened about 5:50 a.m. on southbound I-15 near 900 South. A semi-tractor trailer overturned in that accident. Roden said there were no reported injuries.

— Pat Reavy