Two men died in a truck collision on Interstate 70 in Utah, according to a recent KSL News report. Richard C. Braun of Edgewater, Colorado and Cindy Bird of Westminister, Colorado, was merging onto I-70 from I-15 when another truck that was in the median suddenly made a left turn across the traffic lanes. The two trucks collided, sending Braun’s and Bird’s truck into a series of rolls. Bird died at the scene and Braun died while being transferred to Utah Valley Medical Center.
The driver of the second truck was a 71-year-old woman from Lavern. According to police, beer cans and prescription medications were found in the woman’s truck.
I deeply sympathize with the families of these two victims and am saddened by the unnecessary loss of life.
The 71-year-old woman from Lavern is clearly responsible for this accident as Utah law does not allow drivers to make left-hand turns unless they can do so with safety. This reckless driver will also likely be charged with a felony DUI for driving with open containers and prescription drugs.
The family of the accident victims would be best served in consulting with an experienced personal injury accident attorney qualified in Utah car accident and wrongful death cases. They need an attorney who will conduct a complete and prompt assessment of the crash and explain what compensation might be available through the driver’s insurance and the applicability of their own underinsured provisions in their own insurance policies.