Various news sources online say that around 4:00am this morning a man was killed and another was seriously injured in what must have been a very violent car crash on eastbound I-80 near Wendover. The Utah Highway Patrol is saying that near mile marker 36  the driver drifted left towards the center median, and then drastically over-corrected back to the right, flipping his Chevy Trailblazer and rolling it FIVE times. The car finally landed upright about 30 feet from the highway.

Chevy Trailblazer rolled on I-80 early this morning. Photo courtesy of the UHP and the Salt Lake Tribune

The passenger, 36 year old Raul Luna from Roy, Utah was ejected from the car and died on the scene.  The driver, a 36 year old man from Salt Lake County sustained serious injuries and was air-lifted to University Hospital.  He is expected to survive.

The UHP is still investigating the accident, but suggests that alcohol was involved in the crash and that the driver was wearing his seat belt, but the passenger probably wasn’t.

Given the earliness of the hour, I suspect the driver was tired and falling asleep at the wheel. If the men had been drinking and we’re headed home from partying in Wendover, the only thing about this crash that is fortunate is that no other cars were involved and no one else was hurt as a result.

The names of the two men have not yet been released. As always, my condolences go out to their families and loved ones.

Again folks, please be careful out there on the road. Drunk driving and fatigued driving gets people killed. And here is one more example that seat belts really do save lives.

When I came into my office this morning, I read that a 19 year old woman from Provo, Utah died early this morning in an apparent one-car crash near Sugar City, Idaho.

Idaho State Police are saying that Kristan R. Lusvardi, driving alone around 12:30am was traveling eastbound on U.S Highway 20 just north of Sugar City. For some reason, Lusvardi’s car appears to have drifted across the center median and all the way across the oncoming westbound lanes, finally crashing through a fence and into a ditch.

Various reports suggest Lusvardi was still alive when first-responders came to her aid, but unfortunately she did not survive the life-flight to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash, but they are suggesting alcohol or drugs may have been involved, and that Lusvardi was sadly not wearing a seat belt.

I can only imagine that with a young lady driving alone, late at night a long way from home, fatigue may have also been a factor in this tragic accident. My condolences go out to Kristan Lusvardi’s family and loved ones.

Please folks, be careful out on the road. Wear your seatbelt. Don’t drink and drive. Be safe.

75-year-old Kenneth D. Christensen was killed on Wednesday May 27, 2009 after being hit by a car. According to KSL News, Kenneth Christensen was waiting at a bus stop just east of 4000 West on 3500 South in West Valley City, Utah when Babtunde Idowu veered off the road in his blue Volvo and struck Christensen as he was waiting for the bus at the bus stop. Christensen was flown to the hospital where he died. Police arrested the 23-year-old Nigerean driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

A witness who talked to Idowu at the scene claims that Idowu said he swerved trying to avoid another car on the road. Police are still looking for more information on the cause of the accident. “We’re actually hoping that if there was anybody out there at the scene that may have seen what happened prior to the incident that could call and help us out, that would be very much appreciated,” said West Valley police Sgt. Chad Evans.

There were no skid marks that would indicate Idowu attempted to stop the car. He suffered only minor injuries in the crash. I offer my sincere condolences to Kenneth Christensen’s family.

Driving impaired, while under the influence of alcohol or another substance, puts motorists, pedestrians and others at risk of serious injury. The story suggests that the driver may have been under the influence when he struck Mr. Christensen. If this is the case, then he will be both criminally as well as civilly responsible for what happened in this case. And even if he was not legally impaired, it appears that it was his negligence that caused this car accident to happen.

The family would be well advised to consult with a Utah personal injury lawyer to investigate the remedies they have available. I notice from the pictures, that this was a newly-titled car that struck Kenneth Christensen. I wonder if the driver had switched insurance over by that point. If the car was still under the rubric of the dealer it was purchased from, there may be significantly more insurance coverage. I would definitely recommend that the family look into this and they recover from this tragic accident.