Kearns crash kills one, critically injures passenger

The driver of a sport utility vehicle that crashed into a pillar in Kearns died Friday afternoon, and his passenger was taken to the hospital.

The crash killed James Randall Wilkes, 43, according to the Unified Police Department. Unified Fire Authority Battalion Chief Lee Ascarte said the SUV was traveling south on 5600 West when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle crossed multiple lanes of traffic and crashed. Ascarte said the vehicle crossed the northbound lanes, went onto the sidewalk and slammed into a pillar supporting a pedestrian overpass located at 5000 South.

Wilkes died at the scene. His passenger, a woman in her 20s, had to be extracted from the vehicle and was flown to University Hospital in critical condition.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no pedestrians were injured, Ascarte said.

Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said the department was investigating the crash, but officials had not yet determined its cause.

kbennion@sltrib.com

Twitter: @KimballBennion