Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC - 136 E. South Temple, Suite 1650, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Narrow Misses for Troopers

On Saturday there were a series of incidents involving Utah Highway Patrol troopers on Interstate 15, when they were almost hit by vehicles driving past them.

According to UHP officials, the first incident happened at around 10 a.m. when a trooper had left his vehicle in order to pick up some debris which he had spotted in the road near 3300 South. The vehicles on the road slowed down as they approached him, apart from one driver who stopped sharply at the last moment, losing control and hitting the patrol vehicle which was parked on the shoulder. Luckily the trooper was not injured.

Subsequently, at around 2 p.m. officials said that a lane had been closed for an earlier accident on 7600 South, when a motorist drove through the closed off area, sideswiping another patrol vehicle with a trooper inside it. Another trooper managed to jump over the barrier to escape the vehicle. The motorist was later stopped by other UHP troopers near 7200 South off of I-15. He appeared to be incoherent and as he was suspected of DUI, he was taken into custody.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Debris on Road Causes Rollover

There was a rollover accident late on Wednesday night on Interstate 80 which injured a teenage driver and her parents.

According to Utah Highway Patrol Sergeant Todd Royce, at about 11 p.m. on Wednesday, the 16-year-old female driver swerved to avoid airborne debris, believed to be the remnants of a truck retread tire, which had been dislodged by a car in front of her.

She then ran off the road and rolled down an embankment at mile post 99, near the Tooele-Salt Lake County line.

The Troopers closed down that section of I-80 for about an hour as the wreckage was cleared and helicopters landed to take the girl’s mother and father to University Hospital in Salt Lake City where they were reported to be in serious condition on Thursday.

Royce said that the girl suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.,

He went on to say that all three people in the car were wearing seatbelts, which probably had saved their lives.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

School Year Brings Renewed Auto Accident Concerns

As the 2014-2015 school year begins at most colleges and universities, the likelihood of a car accident also increases. According to a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, over 3.3 million students drive under the influence of alcohol with college drinking becoming a ritual for many students.

Another factor that contributes to car accidents by college students is sleep deprivation caused by late-night studying or long trips home over the weekend. Tiredness leads to inattentiveness and a loss of alertness as well as slower response time.

Students need to make good decisions which begin with saying “no” to getting in the car with someone who has had too much to drink or giving up the keys when they are the ones who have been drinking.  It also means not driving after an all-night cram session for a test.

College students must also encourage their friends to make smart decisions when it comes to driving. Using positive peer pressure can help prevent accidents that are the result of too much alcohol or fatigue from a lack of sleep.

Partying and studying hard are a part of the college experience for most students. At the same time, decisions made now can affect their future, which is why it is important to make responsible decisions in regard to driving to ensure the safety of everyone.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Salt Lake City Drivers Worse than Average

According to the annual Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report released on Tuesday Salt Lake City drivers are worse than average.

Last year, the report said that Salt Lake City drivers equaled the national average of a typical driver having an accident once about every 10 years. But the new report now says Salt Lakers now have an accident on average every 9.7 years, some 3.4 percent more frequently than average.

However, Salt Lake City is still ranked as the 67th safest among America’s 200 largest cities for car-collision frequency, although that is four places lower than last year.

West Valley City was combined with Salt Lake City in last year’s report, but this year has its own ranking at number 80, with accidents occurring 6% more frequently than the average.

Ryan Larson, an Allstate agency said the report challenged drivers in Salt Lake City to make positive changes to their driving.

Fort Collins, Colorado has the honor of being the nation’s safest driving city for the fourth time in 10 years whereas the worst drivers were in Worcester, Mass.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Too Many OHV Accidents

According to Rockport State Park Assistant Manager Kevin Taylor, over last weekend, two separate off-highway vehicle (OHV) accidents injured five people, three of whom had to be airlifted to Salt Lake Valley hospitals.

He said that the incidents have become commonplace on busy summer weekends in Summit County and that they respond to one or two OHV accidents every weekend.

On Friday night,  there was an OHV accident on the Chalk Creek Road near Coalville resulting in a  16-year-old male being airlifted to Intermountain Medical Center and the  25 year old female driver driven by a relative to the Park City Medical Center.

On Saturday night rescuers were called out to the scene of an OHV accident where a driver had lost control of a the vehicle while traveling downhill on Hoyt’s Peak near Marion and all three occupants were ejected and injured. The 44 year old man and two children aged 12 and 9, had to be airlifted to hospital.

Taylor said that none of the occupants were wearing helmets or seat restraints and it was likely they were speeding and that riders and passengers should wear helmets, only ride on designated routes, ride on the right side of the road and in single file and be alert to oncoming traffic.

If you have been injured as a result of a serious accident in Connecticut, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation

Girls Seriously Injured on ATV

On Friday on SR-73 in Eagle Mountain there was an accident resulting in two 15-year-old girls being in serious condition after their ATV was struck by an oncoming car.

The accident happened around 10:20 a.m. at milepost 17 near the entrance to 5 Mile Pass, which is a very popular ATV and motorcycle riding area just off the road filled with all kinds of hills and the trails are located on both sides of the road. The girls had attempted to cross SR-73 as they were been riding with friends. An oncoming PT Cruiser tried to stop, but then hit them broadside. SR-73 has a speed limit of 65 miles per hour road and Utah Highway Patrol troopers say the driver was able to slow down to about 30 miles per hour before impact. Nevertheless the impact sent the driver of the ATV over the top of the car and the passenger onto the shoulder of the road.

Neither girl was wearing a helmet. Officials say the girls didn’t look both ways and were following some friends who had already made it across the street safely. Both girls were taken to Salt Lake City area hospitals, one girl airlifted via helicopter while the other was transported in an ambulance.

If you have been injured as a result of an ATV accident in Connecticut, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Two Men from Salt Lake City Killed in Plane Crash

On Tuesday, in Idaho, two men from Salt Lake City were killed in a plane crash.

Investigators were notified of the crash near Warren, Idaho at 11.45 p.m. on Tuesday and according to the sheriff’s office, a search team located the crash site near Yellow Pine, Idaho, on Wednesday,. The bodies of the men were taken to a Funeral Home in Grangeville, Idaho, and their families were notified of the accident.

On Thursday, Idaho County Sheriff’s Office released the names of the victims of the crash as David Ray Fitzgerald, 57, and Randy Scott Butters, 61.

It is thought that Fitzgerald was piloting the plane which was a small, single engine, two seater, and experimental high wing model. The two men often flew together and were flying from Sulpher Creek Ranch near Cascade to Dixie.

The National Transportation Board is investigating the cause of the accident and awaiting the results of an autopsy on the men.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Two Dead in Rollover Crash

Uintah County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of 6000 North and Dry Fork Canyon Road on a report of a single-vehicle rollover crash.

It appears that the vehicle was travelling south on Dry Fork Canyon Road at a very fast speed, the driver lost control and then drove off the west side of the roadway and up a dirt hill where it rolled several times and both driver and passenger were ejected.

Police identified one of the occupants as 21-year-old Trevor Cuch of Vernal and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second occupant was a 15 year old from Vernal. He was transported to Ashley Regional Medical Center, where he died a short time later.

It appears that the victims had borrowed the vehicle from a friend who lives in the area. He  was eventually located after he called dispatch officials to report his friends were overdue in his vehicle.

Officials said that there was no evidence of alcohol playing a part in the crash but they did not know which of the two victims was driving when the accident occurred.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Kayakers’ Family Awarded More Than Two Million

The family of two kayakers, Joseph Glasser, 49, and Kelly Glasser, 51, who were killed in an accident on the Jordan River has been awarded more than $2 million in damages.

On August 1, 2010 they were caught in an undertow just after a bridge near Winchester Street and drowned. Their families sued several parties, including the state of Utah and the cities of West Jordan and Murray because a sign, warning people to get out of the river, was not visible as it was covered by brush.

On Monday the jury awarded the family more than $2.4 million in damages finding that while the kayakers each bore 5 percent of the blame, West Jordan was 5 percent at fault and other parties were responsible for the remaining 85 percent.

The other parties which were Murray, Salt Lake County, the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands had already settled out of court or been dismissed from the lawsuit.

Eric Olson, representing the family, said that they was very pleased with the award and that they hoped it would raise public awareness and safety.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

Walmart Full Due to Crash

On Wednesday there was major accident on the westbound Interstate 80 when a semi laden with batteries and drums of acid hit a parked semi in Echo Canyon. The critically injured driver of the moving vehicle was airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital.

The accident happened in the very early hours of the morning and was followed by a major blaze. Firefighters had to confirm the type of hazardous materials before starting to attack the fire. Following this the road surface, which was badly damaged, had to be taken up and replaced.

As a result of all of this activity, the road was not completely reopened until nearly 6 p.m. at night.

Meanwhile drivers were stranded in Evanston throughout the day, many looking for places to park and others trying to find an alternative route.

The parking lot in Walmart was packed with semis, campers and other vehicles, and nearby restaurants were all full as well. Long-haul, truck driver, Gregory Leigh, said that he had been driving 12 years and was used to getting stuck due to I-80 closures but that it was usually due to winter snow and didn’t often happen in the summer.

If you have been injured as a result of a major automobile accident involving the negligence of another driver, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.