A Taylorsville woman was airlifted to University Hospital in serious condition Tuesday afternoon after the 15-passenger Chevrolet van she was driving turned over on eastbound Interstate 80, the authorities say.
That side of the freeway was closed for about 20 minutes until a medical helicopter left the scene, said Cameron Roden, a spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol.
"Once the helicopter took off they blocked all but one lane," Roden said in a telephone interview. "There was quite a large backup. How far it extended back, I’m not real sure. But for at least a couple miles."
The traffic crash occurred just east of Parleys Summit, he said. Nora Jean Frakes-Bullock, 57, the van’s lone occupant, was pulling a trailer when she lost control of the vehicle, Roden said.
"Witnesses reported that the trailer started weaving fairly heavily causing the driver to lose control," Roden said. "The vehicle overturned and came to rest blocking the right two lanes."
The woman’s personal items were scattered across the road.
"The trailer flipped and became disconnected," Roden said. "The heavy trailer and the speeds coming down the canyon I think is what combined to get the trailer weaving, causing the driver to lose control." The woman’s injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, he said.t