UHP trooper hurt when patrol car is struck from behind

By bob mims

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Dec 09 2011 07:35 am • Last Updated Dec 10 2011 09:09 am

For the second time this year, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper was hurt when his patrol car was struck from behind, this time while parked on the shoulder of Interstate 15 just south of Ogden early Friday.

UHP Trooper Brandon Whitehead was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden where he was treated for minor injuries and later released, Weber County Sheriff’s Sgt. David MacInnes said.

The accident occurred about 1:10 a.m. as the trooper was sitting in his car on the right shoulder of northbound I-15, doing paperwork from a recent traffic stop. A northbound vehicle went out of control and veered off the right side of the freeway, striking the UHP unit in the rear.

MacInnis said it appeared that the 28-year-old driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Despite early indications that the vehicle may have been traveling at 90 mph when the accident occurred, the driver also escaped with minor injuries, being treated at Ogden Regional Medical Center and then released, MacInnis said.

Whitehead also sustained minor injuries on Jan. 10 when hit from behind. Then, he was filling out an accident report on I-15 in Box Elder County when a tow truck, itself struck by an out-of-control car, slammed into the back of Whitehead’s vehicle.

MacInnis said it did not appear drugs or alcohol were factors in Friday’s crash. "The driver was unaware of what had happened, had no memory of the accident," he said.

No citations were immediately issued, but MacInnis said the accident remains under investigation.

Weber County was handling the investigation since a UHP trooper was involved.

remims@sltrib.com

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