WEST VALLEY CITY — One man was killed in a crash Monday that started when a ladder fell from a vehicle onto a Salt Lake Valley highway, according to police.
About 10:10 a.m., a Ford F150 pickup with a utility rack had a ladder fall off the truck onto the road because it wasn't properly secured, said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Nick Street. The driver of the truck stopped in the far left lane and began backing up to retrieve the ladder, he said.
The incident happened in an area under construction on state Route 201 at 4100 West. There are orange barrels in the area and no shoulder on the left side, Street said.
As the truck was backing up, two vehicles going at freeway speed swerved to avoid the ladder. The second vehicle, a Honda Civic, veered into the truck’s lane and slammed into the back of the pickup, Street said. The driver of the Honda, Lance Budge, 25, of Saratoga Springs, was killed.
The impact caused the truck to bump a minivan that was driving by, causing the minivan to hit the concrete barrier and roll, Street said. The vehicle rolled once, landing on its wheels. Two occupants were both wearing seat belts and had only minor injuries, Street said.
The driver and a passenger in the truck were not injured.
Potential charges were pending against the pickup driver who lost the ladder, Street said. He also cautioned other drivers to use this incident as a reminder to slow down if you see a problem on the road ahead and to pay attention to what’s coming up 15 seconds down the road.