SALT LAKE CITY — A man is dead after being hit by a semi while trying to secure debris that had fallen off his camper.
On Sunday the Utah highway patrol received a call around 7 am that a camper was in the middle of the road with fallen debris everywhere. The driver decided to get out of the truck to secure the fallen debris and didn’t see the semi-truck heading in his direction.
The accident happened in the southbound lane of Interstate 15, just before the I-80 East exit.
“Once the camper was in the center lane it was hit by a semi truck that was coming along, and from that point on the camper was destroyed immediately upon impact. Whether he was inside of the camper or not, we are not sure.”
– Sgt. Ben Fallows, Utah Highway Patrol
Although the man was trying to do the right thing, police say he should have asked for help due to the dangerous conditions Sunday morning.
Troopers believe the man thought he was doing the right thing by securing the items, but they say it’s never a good idea to exit your vehicle in a situation like this, saying it’s best to call for help.
If you do lose a piece of debris or lose something in the road, don’t try to retrieve it. You have high odds of getting hit, especially on I-15 corridor where there are so many lanes and so much traffic.
– Sgt. Ben Fallows
The freeway was closed for over an hour to allow time to clear the crash debris and the two trucks. Troopers say it’s a heartbreaking accident during this time of the year, especially because it could have been avoided.
The identity of the man has not been released.
According to UHP, they responded to more calls on Sunday than expected due to wet roads and holiday travel.