Utah: UHP patrol car, other vehicles hit amid slippery road conditions
That's the advice for drivers after a weekend tally of of more than 200 accidents and several fatalities up and down the Wasatch Front over the holiday weekend.
It's a reminder for drivers to be aware of road conditions, said UHP trooper Andrew Battenfield, whose own vehicle was stuck by a sliding car on an icy stretch of freeway while he was assisting other drivers involved in weather-related accidents Saturday.
"Highway Patrol gives out the same message every year. Our goal with the Department of Public Safety is to have zero fatalities," Battenfield said Sunday. "There is only so much that we can do as Highway Patrol. We need the public's help in reaching this zero fatality goal."
Shortly before 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Battenfield pulled over to help a driver whose pickup truck had rolled near 800 North on the right-hand side of southbound I-15. Soon after, another crash involving two vehicles occurred in the same area. After that, two more vehicles crashed into the barrier in separate incidents.
As Battenfield moved from vehicle to vehicle assisting the drivers, he saw an SUV in the far left lane sliding across the freeway to the right-hand side, bringing two more cars with it. The trio of drifting vehicles hit several cars that were already pulled over, including Battenfield's patrol car and a fire engine.
Despite the damage, no one was seriously injured, said Battenfield, who was standing about 30 feet away when his vehicle was struck. But it could have been much worse.
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