WOODS CROSS, UT — A driver was killed early Saturday in a five-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 15 in Woods Cross after a silver sedan struck the back of a semi-truck, according to Utah Highway Patrol officials.
Investigators said the sedan was traveling north at a high rate of speed near 2600 South when it hit the truck. The impact pushed the semi into other vehicles on the freeway, turning the collision into a chain reaction.
Officials said the driver of the silver sedan died from their injuries. Another person was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Utah Highway Patrol says speed led to the first impact
Troopers described the sedan as moving north on I-15 “at a high rate of speed” before the rear-end collision. That initial crash happened just before 4:45 a.m., while traffic was still light on the freeway.
The sedan’s driver has not been publicly identified. Utah Highway Patrol officials have not said whether impairment, distraction, or any other factor may have contributed to the crash.
The presence of a semi-truck helped spread the damage across multiple lanes and vehicles. The crash involved five vehicles in all, making it one of the more serious early-morning incidents in that stretch of freeway.
One person was hospitalized with minor injuries
In addition to the fatality, another person was transported to a hospital with injuries that officials described as minor. No other injuries were immediately reported.
Authorities did not say how many people were in the vehicles involved or whether any of the other drivers were hurt. The crash scene remained active while crews and investigators worked through the wreckage.
Because the collision unfolded in the pre-dawn hours, response crews had to deal with damaged vehicles and traffic control before the freeway could be reopened.
Northbound I-15 stayed closed for about seven hours
The deadly crash shut down northbound lanes of Interstate 15 in Woods Cross for roughly seven hours, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. The closure began after the collision and lasted until just before noon.
Northbound traffic was diverted off the freeway at 2600 South, then allowed back onto I-15 at 500 South. Transportation officials urged drivers to use Interstate 215 and Legacy Highway as an alternate route while the closure remained in place.
The long shutdown likely affected the morning commute and kept a major corridor out of service well into the day.
Crews reopened the freeway shortly before noon
Utah Department of Transportation officials said the northbound lanes reopened just before noon, ending the prolonged closure. By that point, the scene had been cleared enough for traffic to resume on the interstate.
The timing shows how much work was needed after the crash, from investigating the cause to moving damaged vehicles and restoring the roadway. Even after the lane closure ended, drivers heading through Davis County could still have faced delays as traffic patterns returned to normal.
The early timing of the collision meant the closure stretched across the morning rush and into the late morning, a stretch that can create backups beyond the immediate crash zone.
Investigators are still reviewing what happened
The crash remains under investigation, and officials have not announced any charges or additional findings. The fatal outcome and the multi-vehicle damage make the case a significant one for investigators to sort through.
For now, the confirmed facts are limited to the sequence that started with the speeding sedan rear-ending the semi-truck and ended with one death, one hospitalization, and a lengthy interstate closure.
Utah Highway Patrol has not released the identity of the driver who died. Further details will depend on the continuing investigation into how the crash unfolded and whether any other factors played a role.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
