SALT LAKE CITY — Investigators say speed, distraction and not wearing a seat belt were all contributing factors in a fatal crash early Monday on I-15.
Just after 3 a.m. a Honda Civic crashed at 1200 North.
“A witness on scene stated that the vehicle drifted to the left and struck the center barrier. The vehicle then rolled several times and came to rest with the driver ejected and pinned under the vehicle,” according to a statement from the Utah Highway Patrol.
Kelton Kluvers, 20, of Blackfoot, Idaho, was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries a short time late, the UHP stated.
The department also noted on Monday that troopers have “investigated multiple high-speed crashes and fatalities during this pandemic of COVID-19.”
The average driver already has a bad habit of “closing the gap” with the vehicle ahead of them, said UHP Lt. Nick Street. “We are so quick to close gaps on a normal commute day.”
Over the past few weeks with fewer vehicles on the freeway, Street said there has been more open gaps between vehicles, prompting some drivers to increase their speeds.
“People have just been kind of brazen,” Street said.
On Saturday, the driver of an Aston Martin was killed after the front of his vehicle clipped the rear of a semitrailer, spun out and hit a concrete barrier and another car, according to the UHP. The 25-year-old Orem driver was going more than 100 mph in a 65 mph zone on state Route 201 near 800 West and was weaving in and out of traffic prior to the crash, Street said.
Street said when he was on patrol about eight years ago, it was rare to pull over a vehicle in Salt Lake County that was traveling more than 100 mph. Recently, a trooper who had just completed a weekend shift told Street he had pulled over five vehicles going over 100.
“That’s just crazy to me,” Street said.