Fatal wrong-way crash becomes latest in string of deadly incidents

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A fatal wrong-way crash in Salt Lake City Wednesday morning has brought back horrific memories for one Utah mother.

“My reaction is that I can’t believe that once again I’m hearing about this,” said Jan McMillian.

McMillian lost her son, Michael, to a crash in 2015. Since then, she’s become an advocate for trying to bring down the number of such crashes.

“If you choose to go out and drink, fine,” said McMillian. “Do not drive. Don’t get behind the wheel.”

The Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) said most wrong-way incidents are caused by impaired drivers. Impairment was considered a factor in Wednesday’s crash.

“We are definitely thinking along the lines of impairment playing a huge factor,” said Maj. Jeff Nigbur, assistant superintendent of UHP. “I’m not able to get into what yet.”

Nigbur said he’s responded to wrong-way crash scenes and understands how horrific they can be.

“They are really quite brutal,” he says. “I mean, there are engine parts just scattered all over the freeway. You can really see the crash forces involved in that. These are significant, they are absolutely tragic and they are absolutely preventable.”

2News met up with McMillian as she was having lunch with other advocates who want to prevent drunk driving. Glendon Mitchell was one of her lunch companions. He’s the grandfather of Eli Mitchell, who was killed by a drunk driver in April of 2022.

“It’s somewhat healing and somewhat heartbreaking to hear similar stories,” Mitchell said.

The driver that killed Eli Mitchell wasn’t going the wrong way. But McMillian said impaired driving is the common thread in so many fatal crashes.

McMillian and Mitchell would like to see stronger laws in place to prevent people from driving drunk.