Clinton man dies after head-on with semi on snowy Highway 40

A Clinton man was killed when his pickup truck, possibly speeding in wind-whipped snow, collided head-on with a semi-trailer rig on Highway 40 near Strawberry Reservoir in Wasatch County.

The Utah Highway Patrol said that in appears that 51-year-old Craig L. Batchelor attempted to pass a slow-moving, eastbound SUV by crossing over a double-yellow, no-passing line about 7 p.m. Monday.

In near-whitehout conditions, troopers reported, Batchelor's pickup struck the left front of the westbound semi. The pickup rolled onto the driver's side, pinning Batchelor, who was not wearing his seat belt. He was later pronounced dead at Heber Valley Medical Center.

A male passenger in the pickup was wearing his seat belt and escaped with minor arm injuries, UHP said.

The semi's driver was unhurt, but his rig lost its left front tire, crossed over the eastbound traffic lane and slid to a stop, blocking both eastbound and westbound traffic for the next four hours.

The semi was hauling tankers full of crude oil, but none of it spilled, UHP said.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims