Trooper: Helmet helps motorcyclist in Summit County crash

A California motorcyclist was fortunate to be wearing his helmet when he crashed in Summit County, troopers say.

Darrell Kuntz, 27, was riding with three other motorcyclists when they approached a turn in Interstate 80, near mile marker 179, and Kuntz failed to make the turn, said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Lawrence Hopper. Troopers believe Kuntz was fatigued, which led to the accident, Hopper added.

Kuntz slid into the median and hit the cable barrier with his head — "but he was wearing his helmet. We can't stress enough, this is a great example as to why helmets are so important," Hopper said.

Though a helicopter was originally called out for him, Kuntz was taken in an ambulance to a local hospital in fair condition, the trooper said.

"He suffered some neck and back injuries and some road rash … but nothing that he won't fully recover from," Hopper said.

Both directions of travel on I-80 at the accident site, which is several miles northeast of Echo Reservoir, was shut down for a little more than an hour.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mikeypanda