California man killed in I-80 rollover

SALT LAKE CITY — A California man was killed on I-80 Monday when the semitrailer he was driving flipped over the concrete barrier and rolled down an embankment.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Terry Woodward said the accident occurred near the ramp connecting westbound SR-201 and westbound I-80.

Woodward said the truck appears to have drifted into the right barrier, skidded along it for several hundred feet and then flipped over the top. The driver, Suab Ponjevic, 40, of Sacramento, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers are still investigating whether alcohol or distracted driving contributed to the wreck, Woodward said. The driver was traveling at a high rate of speed, at least the allowed limit of 55 mph.

There were initial concerns about fuel leaking from the vehicle but the truck wasn't carrying hazardous materials, Woodward said. 

UHP Cpl. Todd Johnson said the ramp was re-opened after a four-hour closure.

— McKenzie Romero Twitter: @McKenzieRomero