By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A Salem man died in a three-vehicle accident south of
Nephi on the old "death strip" at 7:24 p.m. on Tuesday,
Sept. 17.
Justin Bryan Orton, 28, died at Central Valley Medical
Center of injuries suffered in the accident on US 28 just
four miles south of Nephi.
Two other people were seriously injured in the accident
and a third received bruises.
Injured were Keyton Lovell, 21, Spanish Fork, driver of a
1996 Chevy Blazer, was taken by AirMed to Utah Valley
Regional Medical Center in Provo; and Jared Peterson, 27,
Spanish Fork, a passenger in the 1996 Supercab Ford Pickup,
was transported by LifeFlight to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake
City.
Utah Highway patrol Trooper Charlie Ray Wilson,
investigating officer, said the accident occurred when the
northbound Blazer, driven by Lovell, crossed into the
southbound lane where there is a slight curve on the two-way
highway.
"The Blazer struck the left front tire of an on-coming
flat-bed truck which flattened the tire and knocked out the
steering mechanism," said Wilson.
The truck, a 1994 Freightliner diesel carrying a load of
steel, was driven by Joseph Shelly, 32, Manti.
"Shelly had seen the Blazer coming toward him and was
moving to the right when the Blazer struck his tire, he lost
control of the semi, and was thrown into the Ford pickup,"
said Wilson.
The Ford and diesel tractor-trailer struck on the right
front of the Freightliner with such force that the cab of
the Ford came off and the body of the Ford stuck beneath the
wheels of the under structure of the Freightliner.
The Ford cab was pushed by the diesel off the road and
into the field to the side of the highway.
Meanwhile, said Wilson, the Blazer spun around on the
highway and came to a stop on the center line, blocking
traffic.
Lovell and Peterson received bruises and broken bones in
the accident.
Orton, who was fatally injured, was the driver of the
Ford pickup truck.
Wilson said a witness stopped at the site, and waited to
talk to him. The witness, who does not live in the local
area, had informed him that the Blazer had been traveling at
a high rate of speed prior to the accident.
In addition, said Wilson, Greg Gurney, a Juab County
Deputy Sheriff, also witnessed the accident, stopped at the
scene, and began assisting at the site.
"The semi started on fire, following the accident," said
Wilson. "Officer Gurney, pulled out his fire extinguisher
and put the fire out, otherwise the accident may have been
even more serious."
Those pinned inside vehicles, he said, would have
probably burned to death. He said it took 30 to 40 minutes
for extrication crews to get Orton and Peterson out of the
cab of the pickup truck where they had been pinned.
"We have some wonderful people to work with in Juab
County," said Wilson. He said both ambulance crews from East
Juab responded to the scene to care for victims as did
Levan's First Responder Ambulance.
In addition, Mike Tischner, off-duty Nephi City Police
officer, and Gary Corbin, off-duty Juab County Sheriff's
dispatcher, both trained in victim care at an accident
scene, also responded to give aid at the site.
Wilson said the cause of the accident was still under
investigation but charges may be pending.
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