DPS NEWS

Troopers and Officers to reward Nebo School District Students who buckle up with candy canes – Media Advisory

SR-40 injury crash involving a semi tanker

At about 9:00 AM, a grey 2006 Mercedes Benz was westbound on SR-40 going up a grade near milepost 11 in the right lane in Heber City. There was a slower moving semi tanker in the right lane ahead. The driver of the Mercedes failed to slow or change lanes and impacted with the rear of the semi trailer at a significantly higher speed than the truck was going. The female driver of the Mercedes sustained significant lower body injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to the hospital. The male driver of the semi is being checked for possible injury. SR-40 westbound was closed completely for about 30 minutes while medical and fire personnel extricated the Mercedes’ driver. Currently the right lane is closed westbound, and the left lane is open for travel. We anticipate reopening both lanes by around 10:15 am, and there may be an intermittent lane closures after that so the rear tank trailer can be towed from the emergency lane. Impairment is being investigated as a possible cause for why the driver of the Mercedes impacted the tanker.

One person injured after rock falls from mountainside causing a five car crash

At about 6:00 AM, a car was northbound on SR-189 near milepost 23. There was a large rock in the roadway that came off the mountainside. The car attempted to stop but hit the rock. The car behind that stopped, but then several others crashed into the rear of those vehicles. It ended up being 5 cars total. There was another crash a couple miles away that was a single vehicle crash into a guardrail. Out of the crashes, one person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The road was closed in both directions for about 2 hours until the wreckers could clear the vehicles. The road where the crash occurred was very narrow with a rock cliff wall on one side and guardrail on the other. It was on a blind curve due to the rock wall, and it was slick at the time. The road was opened about 8 am.

Investigators ask for the public’s help identifying suspect involved in road rage incident and assault

Investigators with the State Bureau of Investigation are asking for the public's help identifying the person and/or vehicle involved in a road rage incident on Wednesday, November 28 at approximately 7:45 p.m.

DPS announces major break in 20-year-old cold case investigation

After tireless work and the public's help, agents with the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) have made a major breakthrough in their 1998 cold case investigation. Investigators have identified the victim as Lina Reyes-Geddes of Ohio.

Lewiston crash involving a school bus turns fatal.

A 2012 Toyota Corolla struck the left rear portion of a 2019 Bluebird School Bus with it's right front. This collision occurred on SR-61 westbound near milepost 4 (1875 West Center) Lewiston, Utah. Not one of the school bus's 32 elementary school aged occupants were transported to a medical facility. However, two kids were checked for injuries by ambulance personnel and released to their respective parents. The man driving the Corolla was transported to Cache Valley Hospital where he was treated and released with minor injuries. The female passenger of the Corolla suffered severe head injuries and was transported to Cache Valley Hospital. From there, she was airlifted to Ogden Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead. She is a 19 year old woman from Cache Valley, Amber Nielsen Crouch, formerly of Richmond and now from Lewiston, Utah.

DPS statement regarding crash investigation involving Felix Calata

On March 25, 2018, Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers and agents responded to the scene of a fatal accident involving Felix Calata. DPS investigators originally scheduled to screen the case with prosecutors on June 20. Constant communication between investigators and prosecutors was ongoing up until the rescheduled meeting on October 24.  On October 24, prosecutors requested DPS investigators to provide more information regarding the traffic light sequencing at the intersection of Bangerter highway and California avenue in Salt Lake City. The requested information was gathered and sent back to prosecutors on November 14. The case was scheduled to be rescreened on December 6, 2018.

Utah State Capitol CCTV video of an alleged altercation on October 3rd, 2018

Use the following link to download the video: State Capitol CCTV Video

I-80 Semi fire at MM 181

On November 21, 2018 at approximately 1317 hours a semi truck hauling Wal-Mart products was traveling west on Interstate 80 near mile post 181. The driver pulled to the right shoulder of the roadway after he smelled smoke. The truck and trailer then caught fire and became fully engulfed. The fire spread across the roadway and burned the grass in the center median, however eastbound travel was not affected. A closure of Interstate 80 west bound was enacted until fire personnel can suppress the fire. Once the fire is extinguished west bound Interstate 80 will be opened to the motoring public with a possible lane closure of the right lane.

Injury/property damage crash involving a Jeep liberty and dump truck in Kamas

On November 20, 2018 at 4:27pm a blue 2004 Jeep Liberty was traveling westbound on 100 South in Kamas, Utah. As the female driver of the Jeep approached the intersection of 100 South and State Road 32, the driver failed to stop for a stop sign at that intersection. The female driver of the jeep proceeded into the intersection where a white 2003 Kenworth dump truck was traveling southbound on SR-32. The driver of the dump truck did not have a traffic control device and was traveling at an estimated speed of 30 miles per hour. The dump truck impacted the passenger side of the Jeep and began to push it off of the right shoulder. The male dump truck driver admitted he was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown onto the floor of the truck. As a result, the truck driver was not able to stop the truck and ran into the north wall of a laundromat at 150 South Main. Both the male driver of the dump truck and the female driver of the Jeep were transported by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries. No one was in the laundromat at the time of the accident. Impairment is not suspected as a contributing factor to the accident.