PORTAGE — A Utah Highway Patrol trooper was hit Saturday afternoon while investigating another crash along Interstate-15 near the Portage exit. Sgt. Brian Nelson was sitting inside his patrol vehicle, when a truck lost control and sideswiped him.
UHP Lt. Lee Perry said Nelson was responding to his third crash of the day, near milepost 398. The accident had involved a gray SUV that had lost control and struck the cable barrier in the median.
Nelson collected the driver’s identification and insurance records, and advised the driver to sit in his car in case anyone else lost control.
Firefighters from the Plymouth Fire Department had set up behind Nelson’s cruiser with their lights flashing to warn oncoming motorists.
Perry explained that while Nelson was filling out a report on the crash inside his car, a white 2017 Dodge pickup truck lost control as it passed the firetruck, sliding sideways across the highway, and striking the rear corner of the patrol car on the passenger side. The truck continued to spin, striking the previously-crashed SUV in the driver’s side, and then spun for another 50-yards, before coming to a stop.
Nelson had serious neck pain and was taken to Bear River Valley Hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and later released.
Perry said both crashes involved vehicles that were traveling too fast in the rain. They both remain under investigation.