Two crashes on I-80 leave one dead, one in police custody

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah drivers on I-80 were met with considerable delays Wednesday night as lanes were blocked by two accidents that happened within minutes of each other but were 50 miles apart.

A 26-year-old man was killed when the truck and trailer he was driving westbound on I-80 rolled near milepost 53 in Tooele County, about 20 miles west of the junction with state Route 196. The man was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, Utah Highway Patrol Cpl. Todd Johnson said.

The man was identified Thursday as Christopher Fainsbury, of Rockland, Calif.

Officers on scene said a 3-year-old girl was also in the vehicle. The child was riding in a car seat but was taken by medical helicopter to a Salt Lake City hospital.

Johnson said the girl's injuries were limited to some abrasions. UHP had not determined whether Fainsbury was related to the child.

A second car swerved off the road and rolled, attempting to avoid the truck, officers said. The driver was not injured. 

The accident occurred at 5:36 p.m., according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.

Another accident was reported at milepost 106 near Saltair at 5:33 p.m. One man was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence after traveling the wrong way on eastbound I-80. The wrong-way driver forced two female drivers to swerve and cross over into westbound traffic, police said.

One woman trying to avoid the man sustained injuries that were not life-threatening when the Chevrolet Tahoe she was driving rolled across the median. Another woman in a pickup truck struck a semitrailer in westbound traffic but was not hurt, police said.

The wrong-way driver's name was not released Wednesday night.

— McKenzie Romero

Twitter: @McKenzieRomero