This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A dump truck with its bed inexplicably elevated tore down power lines over Interstate 15, leading to closure of the freeway near Bountiful early Friday morning.
The 4 a.m. incident also triggered an electrical outage that initially left about 1,300 customers in the dark, Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Dave Eskelsen said.
Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-15 were closed near mile marker 317. The Utah Highway Patrol detoured traffic to the adjacent Legacy Parkway and I-215 as alternates. Semis, usually barred from Legacy, were given a temporary waiver.
It took several hours to remove the lines and clean up debris on I-15, with troopers reopening the lanes to motorists beginning at 8 a.m., the height of the morning commute.
UHP Sgt. Todd Royce said witnesses reported seeing the dump truck's bed rip down the lines. The big rig's driver did not stop.
Friday afternoon, after checking with area construction companies, troopers determined the truck was being operated for Ralph Smith Co., a West Bountiful construction firm, by a subcontractor, UHP said.
The incident remained under investigation. No citations were immediately issued.
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