By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News
At approximately 6:10 a.m. on Monday, May 12, first responders from across Carbon County were called into action following reports of a crash on US-6 in Wellington. A semitruck carrying crude oil veered off the road and into a home, hospitalizing five – all three occupants of the house and both the driver and passenger of the vehicle.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol,” The CV (Commercial Vehicle) left the roadway to the right, colliding with six vehicles which were parked at an auto repair facility. The CV continued through an intersection, a utility pole, a fire hydrant, fencing, and an open field before crashing and coming to a rest in an occupied house.”
No official cause has been released, but UHP officials believe that the driver of the semitruck was having difficulty staying awake or fell asleep behind the wheel.
The residents of the home – two grandparents and their grandson – were present at the time of the crash. The truck plowed into the grandson’s bedroom, but the grandson was not in the room at the time of the accident. The driver, passenger and grandson were all transported to Castleview Hospital and are in stable condition.
Eyewitness reports indicate the grandfather was ejected from the home during the crash, resulting in more serious injuries. The adult male and female who occupied the residence were later flown by medical helicopter in serious condition.
With the truck carrying crude oil, first responders began to evacuate the immediate area of the incident due to health and safety concerns as hazmat crews got to work.
The truck also collided with power lines, resulting in Rocky Mountain Power shutting off electricity while first responders cleared the scene. Power has since resumed.
This is a breaking story, updates may be made as more information becomes available.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Updated 3:25 p.m. with additional information from the Utah Highway Patrol