After a sudden weather change in north Summit County’s Echo Canyon the area’s fire district was called to three crashes on westbound Interstate 80.
All three single-car crashes occurred within 30 minutes of each other, three miles apart. North Summit Fire District Administrative Battalion Chief Tyler Rowser said two cars rolled and another ran into a cement barrier.
“The first crash came in at 3:30 in the afternoon, and then, literally a minute later, the second crash came in at a mile marker 169, about a mile difference from the first one,” he told KPCW.
The three incidents sent only one person to the hospital.
Rowser said the changing weather caused variable conditions as drivers traveled through the canyon.
“Even though it was raining in the lower part of the canyon, closer down to Echo Junction, the roads are still slick, and I think people just weren't ready for the change in the road conditions,” he said.”
He said with the low snow year, Utahns have fallen out of practice with winter driving and some may not have switched to winter tires.
“I think the biggest thing that you know drivers should be prepared for is getting those tires changed and rotated and checked,” he said. “That's, you know, your first line of defense is your traction on the road.”
He said defensive driving should be practiced at all times, especially when roads are wet or snow-covered. If a car starts to slide, Rowser recommended letting off the gas so the car slows down naturally.
“Take the extra time and be late wherever you're going, it's fine. You know, an accident will cause you to be much later than what a delayed driving experience will be,” he said.
Utah is experiencing its lowest snow year since tracking began in 1980, but a mid-February storm may increase the state’s snowpack.
The National Weather Service predicts a storm will roll into the state Monday into Tuesday, with more snow through Wednesday. The weather service says Utah’s mountains are most likely to get up to three feet of snow by Feb. 18.
