Three adults were killed and three children were injured in a three-car accident near Gunnison Thursday.
For unknown reasons, a Ford F350 crossed the center lane on U.S. 89 near milepost 236 at about 5:45 p.m., and sideswiped another pickup truck that was pulling a trailer carrying a small tractor, said Utah Highway Patrol trooper Jeff Nigbur. He said the impact caused the Ford to lose its front left wheel and continue into oncoming traffic.
The truck, driven by Annette Cunz, 50, of Redmond, crashed head-on with an older-model van carrying five people.
"It pretty much stopped right where it hit, and that tells you how fast and how hard it hit," Nigbur said.
Charles Kirk, 67, and Doris Kirk, 71, both of Gunnison and believed to be a husband and wife, were killed on impact. Cunz was also killed. Three of the Kirks' grandchildren, ages 2, 4 and 14, were flown to Utah Valley Hospital in varying conditions, one critical.
Traffic was moved to the open side of the highway for at least three hours, causing quite a traffic jam, Nigbur said. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.