Semi hauling cleaning supplies plunges into Bear River

A semi-truck carrying household chemicals plunged into the Bear River Friday morning at approximately 5:39 a.m. Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Lee Perry says the accident happened on I-15 about two miles south of the Elwood-Tremonton exit in Box Elder County. Perry says traffic in that area is already limited to one lane in each direction due to a chip and seal project. Perry says the semi was traveling southbound and appears to have made contact with the guardrail along the river for approximately 100 yards, then jumped the rail and traveled in the median for another hundred yards until going off the embankment and into the river. The 52-year old male driver was airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital in critical condition, while his 55-year old male passenger was treated and released from Bear River Valley Hospital. Both men are from British Columbia, Canada, and were hauling the detergent, glass cleaner, and other chemicals for Atlantic Alliance Transportation Company. Lt. Perry says I-15 was closed from approximately 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Perry says Lincoln Environmental Services is expected to have the clean-up of approximately 300 gallons of diesel fuel and contents of the trailer completed by Friday afternoon. He says investigation into the crash is underway and there’s a possibility it occurred as a result of fatigue, or more likely impairment, due to medication.

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