A semi truck accident caused a part of Interstate 80 to be shut down and sent two people to the hospital, KSL News reported. The accident occurred at the 700 East overpass on I-80. The driver of the semi truck was traveling in the right lane when he attempted to make a lane change and ran into a Volkswagen Jetta. When the semi driver noticed what he had done, he swerved back to the right and collided with a Cadillac, nearly pushing the car off the freeway and down onto the 700 East off-ramp below.
Fortunately, the driver of the Jetta walked away and the driver of the Cadillac received only minor injuries in what potentially could have been a catastrophic accident.
Not only was the driver of the semi truck negligent in the operation of his vehicle, but he also never should have been on I-80 in the first place. Because of construction on I-80, semi trucks are supposed to use I-215 instead. According to the Utah Highway Patrol, this has not been happening and troopers have begun to issue citations. The UHP even sent out letters to the local trucking companies asking for their cooperation. unfortunately, many truck drivers have refused to take I-215 because it could add 10-15 minutes to their drive. This truck driver’s decision to put time before safety caused hundreds of drivers to spend their morning in gridlock and will cost his trucking company thousands of dollars for the victims medical bills and lost wages.