A school teacher caught in slowing traffic near the scene of multiple earlier accidents died Tuesday when his own vehicle slammed into the rear of a flatbed truck on Interstate 15 in American Fork.
The victim was 35-year-old Dylan Thornton, of Orem, the Utah Highway Patrol reported.
The Vista Heights Middle School Facebook page said Thornton was a teacher at the Saratoga Springs campus.
“We are deeply saddened by the news and our hearts and prayers are with his family and the school community,” the school site stated.
UHP Sgt. Todd Royce said the accident occurred at 7:52 a.m. near mile post 276, in the right two lanes of northbound I-15.
Traffic on that stretch of freeway — always congested during the height of the morning commute — was affected even more as troopers were on the scene to assist motorists in several other rear-end crashes that occurred shortly before the fatal collision occurred.
As traffic slowed near the troopers, the flatbed truck came to a stop, but Thornton failed to stop, the UHP reported.
Royce said the force of the last crash crushed Thornton’s Mitsubishi, which was wedged underneath the truck. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident closed four of the six lanes at the scene for several hours.
Follow @remims