The Utah State Patrol (UHP) is investigating a two vehicle crash that claimed the life of a motorist earlier this week.
The crash occurred around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, on I-15 near Draper, Utah.
Troopers say that a semi truck hauling double trailers became disabled while traveling northbound on I-15 near mile marker 287 en route to Salt Lake City. UHP says that an air malfunction caused the truck’s tires to lock up, leaving the truck disabled in the active lanes of the interstate.
The truck driver later told police that he attempted to move the truck over onto the shoulder of the interstate but was unable to do so.
Five minutes after the truck became disabled, 23 year old motorist Jacob A. Miller rear-ended the semi truck at a high rate of speed.
Miller died at the scene.
The truck driver was unhurt.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Dial says that troopers are investigating whether the crash could have been prevented. He said, “This is kind of a unique circumstance in that a vehicle stalled in traffic and it’s kind of hard to say if it could have been prevented.”
Dial says that it isn’t clear whether the hazard lights on the semi truck were activated. They also say that it isn’t clear what Miller was doing and why he failed to stop for the disabled truck: “We don’t know if he saw the semi or not. It appears it was a high-speed impact, so there wasn’t much braking prior to the accident. So, it appears as though it was for him all of a sudden.”
UHP does not believe that either driver involved in the fatal crash was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.