Two cars collided on January 30, 2009, in West Jordan, Utah. According to KSL News, a van was making a left-hand turn on New Bingham Highway when it collided with an oncoming SUV. The crash was quite significant as emergency crews had to remove the roof of the SUV to get the occupants out. Two of those injured were flown by helicopter to the hospital while the other four rode in an ambulance.
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
From the sound of it, it seems like the driver of the van failed to yield the right-of-way to the oncoming SUV. Unfortunately, it seems that this is a regular occurrence in Utah.
As I have written on a number of occasions, and as I will continue to write, motorists in making a left-hand turn have an absolute duty to yield to traffic so close as to constitute a danger to themselves or the other motorist. Drivers need to exercise a little patience while on the road and not be in such a hurry.
Update 2/2/09: I was saddened to learn over the weekend that a woman in the van passed away at the scene from injuries in this car crash. In reviewing some of the comments, I noticed that others say this is a very dangerous intersection. One that has seen its share of car accidents. If the intersection has a defect in the way it is contructed or the way the light signals are set up, then there is potential liability against the city or state for failing to make this intersection safe. This is especially true if the city or state had notice in the form of numerous car accidents in this area, that this intersection is more dangerous than others. The state and the Utah Dept. of Transportation is not allowed to sit around forever while people continue to get hurt, and in this case, get killed, navigating through this intersection. My condolences to the family.
Published by: Ron Kramer
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