RIVERTON — Officials completely closed east- and westbound lanes on Bangerter Highway near Redwood Road during Monday's rush hour after two vehicles careened into oncoming traffic.
Helicopters landed on the highway and transported a 41-year-old father and his 9-year-old son to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson.
Miles of backed-up traffic were forced to use one lane on Bangerter before having to exit onto an already crowded Redwood Road.
An eastbound Ford Expedition smashed into the rear of an eastbound Chevy Yukon on Bangerter about one block west of the Redwood Road, Hutson said. The 4:30 p.m. collision caused both vehicles to careen into oncoming westbound traffic.
The Yukon escaped another major hit, but the Expedition slid broadside into the rush-hour traffic. The SUV's position left the young boy, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, especially vulnerable.
"He took the brunt of two major hits," Hutson said. "An Acura and a pickup struck his side of the vehicle."
The double impact crushed the passenger-side door to within 5 inches of the SUV's center console, causing the boy to suffer serious injuries to the lower extremities of his body.
Unified Fire Authority crews worked to disentangle the boy and his father using saws and the Jaws of Life while AirMed and Life Flight helicopters flew to the scene around 5 p.m.
Two things likely saved the boy's life, according to Hutson: The SUV's additional height and his smallish size, because "there's no way an adult would fit and survived in 5 inches of space."
The boy was flown to Primary Children's Medical Center and the father to University Hospital.
The drivers of the pickup and Acura, both female, were taken to Jordan Valley Hospital with minor injures. The driver of the Yukon was treated at the scene.
As of 9:30 p.m., crews were still cleaning up the mangled vehicles at the scene and all travel lanes remained closed.
e-mail: jhancock@desnews.com