This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two people died and one other was hospitalized Friday afternoon after a fiery car crash near the University of Utah.
A speeding SUV driving west on 500 South rear-ended a smaller car, propelling it from 1300 East two blocks to 1100 East at 3 p.m., according to Salt Lake City police Lt. Robin Heiden.
The cars crashed into a steel pole in the Red Line TRAX lane, Heiden said, and the smaller car subsequently caught fire. The driver died at the scene and has not been identified.
The SUV continued to accelerate after hitting the car, and the driver didn't appear to brake, which Heiden said "a lot of times [is] an indication that there's a medical issue with the driver."
The driver of the SUV, a 77-year-old man, was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead later, Heiden said. A female passenger, also 77, was in critical condition.
"It just didn't seem like there was any malice at all," Heiden said.
The 500 South and 1100 East intersection was closed Friday night while police investigated, and Heiden anticipated that it would remain closed until morning so the Utah Transit Authority could repair the pole.
In the meantime, UTA buses will take people from the Trolley Square station to the University station, according to UTA's website.
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