CEDAR CITY — Traffic on Interstate 15 was limited to one lane of travel for several hours Monday while authorities cleaned up the wreckage from a crash caused by a semitractor-trailer running into another semi, state troopers said.
Utah Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched around 10:40 a.m. to milepost 98 on Interstate 15 where a semi had crashed into the rear end of another semi.
The driver of the semi was traveling north in the left travel lane when he came upon another semi in the same lane but moving at a slower speed.
Unaware of the speed difference between the two semis, the driver ran “right into the back” of the semi in front of him, UHP Trooper Brian Bairett said.
“The driver of the first semi wasn’t paying attention and he didn’t realize how slow the second semi was traveling,” he said.
The crash destroyed the front of the semi and caused it to jackknife on I-15 blocking all three lanes of traffic.
The emergency and right lanes remained closed for at least two hours. Traffic was directed to the left travel lane during that time.
The driver of the trailing semi was transported by ambulance to the hospital. He was the only occupant in the vehicle.
The other driver reported no injuries, Bairett said.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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A semitractor-trailer driver rear-ends another, slower-moving semi, Interstate 15, Oct. 2, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News / Cedar City News A semitractor-trailer driver rear-ends another, slower-moving semi, Interstate 15, Oct. 2, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News / Cedar City News A semitractor-trailer driver rear-ends another, slower-moving semi, Interstate 15, Oct. 2, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News / Cedar City News A semitractor-trailer driver rear-ends another, slower-moving semi, Interstate 15, Oct. 2, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News / Cedar City News 
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Gee, two trucks traveling in the LEFT lane……who would have thought. Trucks are (by law) supposed to remain in the RIGHT lane except when passing slower traffic. A truck traveling at 55mph is the speed limit, not slower traffic. We see these trucks swerve into the left lane and slow down traffic so they can pass one another all the time. These trucks barrel down the highway at 75-80mph, they need to slow down.