This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2002, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Five out of eight family members riding in a sport utility vehicle Thursday afternoon were taken to hospitals after an Interstate 15 traffic accident.
moved from a middle lane of the freeway toward the right shoulder while heading north at about 2800 South.
The utility truck collided with the front end of a passenger car, said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Richard Wilson.
The collision caused the car to spin across four lanes of traffic before colliding with a Chevrolet Suburban in the car-pool lane.
The SUV spun out of control, slammed into a concrete barrier and crossed all five lanes of traffic before hitting a wall and flipping over, Wilson said.
A 15-year-old boy and his 13-year-old sister were flown to area hospitals. Wilson said the pair didn't suffer life-threatening injuries.
The 15-year-old boy was the only member of the Provo family who wasn't wearing a seat belt, Wilson said.
Three others were taken to Salt Lake City hospitals.
Troopers closed the freeway for 45 minutes while two helicopters were on the freeway. The closure caused traffic to back up several miles to 5300 South.
Wilson said he intended to issue the driver of the utility truck a citation for unsafe lane travel.
-- Jacob Santini