Cement pumper truck that reportedly lost control, smashing into a gift shop in Garden City, Aug. 26, 2020 (Courtesy: Luis-karla Ramos Sosa)
GARDEN CITY — Another truck lost control, spiraling through a now infamous intersection near Bear Lake, and smashing into a local gift shop. The crash Tuesday night marked the fifth accident in the same spot during the past two years.
Utah Highway Patrol troopers report a concrete pumper truck was travelling eastbound on US-89 toward Garden City around 7 p.m. As the truck approached the intersection with Bear Lake Boulevard, it failed to stop. The truck turned onto its side and smashed into the Lighthouse Landing Gift Shop.
The driver of the truck was hurt in the crash. He was transported to a Logan area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
There was no one else in the truck and the gift shop was already closed when the crash occurred.
Witnesses told troopers that the truck’s brakes appeared to be on fire moments before the crash happened. The exact cause of the crash is still be investigated.
Tuesday’s accident is the fifth crash to occur at that intersection during the past 22 months. In March, a semi-truck lost control and ran through the intersection. The truck was able to come to a stop in a vacant field west of the intersection.
Last summer, a dump truck crashed into the storage complex, damaging several sheds. A week before, a semi-truck crashed into the same storage units, damaging additional property. Both drivers sustained minor injuries.
In October 2018, a semi-truck lost control and ran though the same intersection, running into a sporting goods store. The crash killed the driver, 31-year-old Ahmed M. Abdelgader. A passenger was also severely injured. The store was destroyed and never rebuilt.
Earlier this year, Utah Department of Transportation workers began building a truck escape ramp on U.S. 89, below the last hill before entering the city. The catch net cable system is similar to the cable catch on an aircraft carrier and cost about $5 million.
will@cvradio.com