Victim of gruesome I-80 auto-pedestrian accident is identified

An autopsy has determined the identity of a man killed in a horrendous auto-pedestrian accident on Interstate 80 near the Utah-Nevada border earlier this week.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce said the State Medical Examiner's Office had determined the victim of the early Monday morning accident was 20-year-old Christian Gutierrez, of Wendover.

Why Gutierrez was walking in or near the westbound lanes of I-80 about 1 mile east of Wendover remained unknown, however.

UHP troopers initially found his scattered remains about 3:30 a.m. Monday after investigating a 911 call reporting a suspected dead animal on the freeway. The body, believed struck and run over numerous times, was so traumatized that initial efforts to identify the victim, or even determine gender, were impossible.

That stretch of I-80 is known for regular semi-trailer rig traffic during the nighttime hours, which may prove a factor in the extensive injuries the victim sustained.

The incident remained under investigation Wednesday.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims