Posted By Ron Kramer on March 9, 2010

A semi-truck collided with a pickup truck in Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah killing 24-year-old Trent Walker and leaving 45-year-old Slobodan Spanovic in critical condition. This fatal Utah accident happened on Saturday, March 7, 2010, sometime around 2:45 in the afternoon. According to a report provided by the Salt Lake Tribune, the accident took place near Birdseye, Utah when a semi-truck carrying mattresses, hit a Silver Ford F-150 on U.S. Highway 89 close to milepost 305. Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Todd Johnson said that the driver of the pickup, Trent Walker, crossed the center line attempting to pass another vehicle and caused this fatal Utah trucking accident. Walker past away at the scene.

Spanovic, the driver of the semi-truck, was taken by helicopter to University Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah in critical condition.

I offer my sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Walker as they attempt to cope with this loss. I also offer my best wishes to the semi driver who was injured in this crash and wish him a speedy recovery.

I represent another client who was in an accident just a few miles from the spot of this one. Spanish Fork Canyon is dangerous because of the high speed limit and poor visibility. In this case, I recommend that driver of the semitruck contact an experienced Utah personal injury attorney. After he leaves the hospital he will be faced with numerous hospital bills as well as bills for future medical care from chiropractors and physical therapists. If the injuries are as severe as the report indicates, he will most likely have to miss work to recover. An experienced personal injury attorney can help him receive compensation for these damages.

I came across a press release about increasing commercial vehicle safety. It seems that the driver of the semitruck had basically no time to stop once he saw the pickup truck come into his lane, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is setting new regulations to increase the breaking capabilities on new commercial vehicles. Beginning with the new semitrucks made in 2012, NHTSA will require that trucks traveling at 60 mph come to a complete stop in 250 feet instead of the old standard of stopping within 355 feet. The NHTSA estimates that this will save 227 lives annually as well as prevent 300 serious injuries and reduce property damage costs by over $169 million annually. I’m sure this change will be welcomed by commercial and civilian drivers alike.

Categories: Utah Trucking Accident, Vehicle Accidents, Wrongful Death
Tags: