UTAH (ABC4) – Garden City is home to one stoplight at the intersection of Bear Lake Blvd. and US 89 (Logan Rd.). This intersection has a history of bad luck when it comes to runaway vehicles. This morning, a semi-trailer rolled over after losing use of the brakes. One local man was the first on scene and told ABC4 about his experience helping the driver get out of the truck cab.
About half a mile from the intersection, tire marks can still be seen on the eastbound lane of Logan Rd. This is some of the only evidence that remains of the wreck that took place early in the morning.
“In two weeks, it would have been a whole different story,” Jeremiah Sindar told ABC4 news. Sindar lives and works in Garden City. He was working this morning around 6 o’clock. “I heard a boom and the sound of skidding; I looked over and I saw the truck skidding through the light right up against the curb,” he explained.
According to Utah Highway Patrol: “The driver stated that he had an equipment issue causing him to not be able to stop. He tried to turn left at the intersection but rolled onto the passenger side. No injuries were sustained. The trailer was loaded with water bottles that mostly stayed in the trailer.”
A white trailer was parked near the intersection for part of the afternoon. According to Sindar, all the water bottles that stayed in their crates were loaded into this new trailer.
Sindar told ABC4 that he was the first on scene. He added: “I dropped what I was doing and ran outside, ran over there, witnessed the driver trying to push open the driver side door which is not going to happen because that’s a 60-pound door.” He said he helped the driver lift the door open. He told ABC4 the driver was not hurt but was obviously shaken by the accident.
Sindar said adrenaline rushed through his body as he ran over to help. Even hours after the accident, he still felt wound up from what he had witnessed.
According to authorities, there were no injuries reported. In the past, this has not been the case. Runaway trucks have crashed into buildings along this same stretch of road. This accident may have been the best possible outcome. Nonetheless, authorities told ABC4 that this type of accident occurs too frequently.
At the top of the mountain that overlooks Garden City, US 89 winds down toward the small town. Signs are posted frequently along this stretch of highway. Many serve as a warning to motorists of the eight percent grade. The posted speed limit is 40 mph for big rigs and 50 mph for all other vehicles. At the top of the mountain, there is also a brake check area. Sgt. Chris Turley with UHP told ABC4 that most truck drivers comply with this brake check. However, he said UHP often sets up extra patrols in the area to enforce it.
A few miles past the brake check area there is a runaway truck ramp. It’s located about a mile from the intersection and opened just over a year and a half ago as another safety measure to reduce the frequency of runaway vehicles. Sgt. Turley stated, “This is the first crash we’ve had coming down this canyon since the ramp was operational.”
Thankfully, no one was hurt and other than the vehicle involved, no property was damaged. However, Sgt. Turley said this accident is a good reminder for anyone who may be hauling something through the area, “to make sure that they’re driving at an appropriate speed for their vehicle, their weight, in addition to the posted speed limit.”
On Memorial Day, Bear Lake Blvd. will be full of visitors for the holiday weekend. During the holiday, the town’s population often explodes thanks to these visitors. Large numbers of vehicles will line the street and pedestrians will crowd the sidewalks as they walk from shop to shop. Sindar told ABC4 that thinking about how tragic the wreck could have been had it happened just two weeks later had him shaken even six hours after the accident. He said as soon as he finished his shift for the day, he had a plan to relax and overcome the nerves from the morning’s incident. When asked what the plan is, he responded through a laugh, “Go home and probably have a couple beers.”