This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A driver who veered off U.S. 40 and down a 40-foot ravine near Strawberry Reservoir in Wasatch County early Sunday suffered serious injuries to his legs and back and possible internal injuries, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

The 41-year-old man, who was driving a Dodge Ram truck that was towing a boat, went off the road sometime around 2 a.m., a UHP news release says. Another motorist called 911 about 5 a.m. after being flagged down by a pedestrian who spotted the crash at mile marker 55 and saw the driver inside the truck, the release says.

The news release says the other driver and the pedestrian had left the area before emergency crews arrived and troopers and medical personnel searched for more than two hours to find the accident site.

In the meantime, the injured driver managed to climb out of the truck, get up the embankment and wave down a passing vehicle. Crews got to the scene at 7:10 a.m. and the man was airlifted to a hospital.

Investigators believe fatigue played a role in the crash. The cell service in the area "is spotty at best," according to the news release.

Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC