My Dad's Demolition Derby

I'd like to be posting some good news after having to put the family dog to sleep last week, but it seems we're not quite there yet! Take a look at my dad's truck after his accident on Monday morning.

The inversion meant a foggy drive to work for people along the Wasatch Front on Monday. In Utah County, it resulted in a big traffic mess that resulted in I-15 being closed along a five-mile stretch for more than four hours.

Southbound I-15 in Utah County was closed at MP 260, south of Spanish Fork due to a crash just before 9:00 Monday morning. It started out when two semi trucks collided, (my dad was driving the red Semi) and within moments there were three other accidents. In all, seven vehicles were involved as drivers scrambled to slow down or get out of the way of the accident ahead.
No one was seriously hurt, but one person (MY DAD) was taken to the hospital for cuts and bruises.

At the time of the accident, visibility wasn't much better than a quarter of a mile. At freeway speeds, it can be difficult to safely slow down or stop if there is an incident ahead. Just before noon, even with much improved visibility, there was another crash where the traffic was being diverted. It wasn't until after 1:00 in the afternoon that UHP had the freeway reopened.

Dad went into the fog driving only40 mph. He was met with a split second decision to take out the silver car with people inside, AND the cab of the jackknifed Harper truck with the driver inside. Instead he chose to put his truck and his life on the line and went up the other side of the Harper truck to avoid all of the people...to me, a true HERO! Dad was the only person taken to the hospital. The EMT's insisted after seeing the condition of his Semi. They didn't know how someone could have managed to be unharmed in that mess. The only thing really messed up was his truck. He only had a cut on his finger that required three stitches and wasn't sure he needed an ambulance ride for that. A testimony of prayer for all of us! Dad could actually feel a higher power guiding his truck to a softer landing than he anticipated.

Here's a link to the news story from KUTV:
http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story/Freeway-Back-Open-After-Nasty-Accident-In-Utah/za5e3lybFk68pZAfTfIpWg.cspx