UPDATE: KPCW learned Wednesday morning that the third victim of the June 7th accident is Heber resident Amy Nelson, whose daughter is also a Wasatch High school student and who lived very near to another victim of the crash. Payton Caldwell.
KPCW will have a report from last night’s candlelight vigil in Heber, which honored all three victims.
Original story:
Two of the three women killed in a fiery car crash yesterday in Wasatch County were 2021 graduates of Wasatch High School.
Payton Caldwell and Emma Call had just graduated from Wasatch High School last month. Friends tell KPCW the two friends were on their way to Deer Creek Reservoir when the car they were in hit another car that had spun into their lane and both vehicles burst into flames. Friends and families of the victims have planned a candlelight vigil for tonight starting at 6 p.m. at 1175 East 500 South in Heber.
The four-car crash happened Monday about 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 189 and 2400 South in Heber City.
Utah Highway Patrol PIO Nick Street told KPCW that a red Ford F350 was northbound on Highway 189. The truck rear-ended a gray 4-door Jeep Wrangler, sending it into southbound traffic. The Jeep Wrangler clipped a southbound white Ford Escape, causing minor damage to it. The Jeep rotated and was struck in the passenger door by a southbound white Chevy Trailblazer carrying Caldwell and Call. The Trailblazer and the Jeep burst into flames immediately. The female driver of the Jeep, whose name has not yet been released, also passed away from her injuries on scene.
Heber Mayor Kelleen Potter said the Jeep driver was also a Heber resident.
“I am deeply saddened and heartbroken to hear of the loss of three of our residents in the tragic car accident yesterday," Potter said. "I send love and condolences from City Hall to the families and friends who are dealing with this unimaginable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you now and in the future.”
The male driver of the Ford F350 sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene. The two occupants of the Ford Escape were not injured.
Street said the driver of the Ford truck was being 100% cooperative with investigators. He said it was too early to say whether any charges would stem from the crash. He said witness accounts have varied and included statements about the Jeep slowing down suddenly.
According to Wasatch County fire, the fiery crash spread to a nearby field burning about 2.5 acres that was extinguished.
An investigation is ongoing. The crash site is just three miles from the scene of another fatal accident on 189 that occurred last New Year's Day in early afternoon and claimed the life of a teenage athlete. With these three fatalities, Utah now stands at 121 fatalities on our roads this year.
