Woman, two children killed in head-on crash identified

Updated: 12:25 PM- LAYTON - A Huntsville woman and her son who were killed in a head-on collision Thursday afternoon were identified Friday as Janine Howard, 40, and Matthew Howard, 11.

The Howard family's Web site reported this afternoon that another child, Ester, 8, had died. Caleb, 7, remained in critical condition at Primary Children's Medical Center, while Rachel, 13, was listed in stable condition, said police Sgt. John Holden.

Janine Howard, 40, was driving a Chevrolet Cavalier with her four children inside south on U.S. Highway 89 about 3:30 p.m. when they were struck by a northbound Toyota Tacoma pickup that drifted into their lane near 2200 North.

The driver of the pickup, a 25-year-old man from the Ogden area, was conscious after the collision and was in stable condition Friday at Ogden Regional Hospital. He suffered a broken back and ankle, Holden said.

Police declined to release his name pending a criminal investigation.

Traffic was diverted from U.S. 89 for more than four hours while police investigated the collision. White sheets covered the passenger compartment of the car while the pickup remained on its roof with tires skyward.

Layton resident Kevin Ure was working on a computer in his nearby home when he heard the collision.

"It felt like a bomb," Ure said. "You could hear the crunch seconds after that. You could tell right away it was a bad one."

Collisions are not rare for the heavily traveled highway, he said.

"It can be a bad highway," he said.