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A Utah Highway Patrol trooper hit by an SUV during a traffic stop has been upgraded to fair condition and is expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday night or Wednesday.

"He is doing better than we had expected," UHP Sgt. Todd Royce said Tuesday afternoon. "He did remarkably well for the type of crash."

Royce said 27-year-old trooper Devin Gurney initially had been listed as critical when rushed to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo late Monday morning, after the SUV careened into the traffic stop scene on Interstate 15 near Lindon.

Gurney suffered severe leg and other injuries.

The accident is being investigated on UHP's behalf by the Utah County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said the SUV's driver, a 48-year-old Orem man, and his passenger had both told investigators that the driver had apparently fallen asleep behind the wheel.

The SUV's driver, also initially listed as critical, was later upgraded to serious condition. He was undergoing surgery at UVRMC Tuesday to repair a compound leg fracture, Cannon said.

Cannon said the trooper had pulled over another driver in the emergency lane of southbound I-15, and was outside his cruiser when the collision occurred. The SUV slammed into the rear of the cruiser, which then struck the trooper.

The driver of the car which had been pulled over, along with three passengers in the SUV, all reportedly escaped with minor injuries.

While the investigation continued, Cannon said there were no initial indications that the SUV's driver was impaired by drugs or alcohol. "It appears to be fatigue" to blame for the crash, he said.

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