Utah Crash Kills Five People, Including Brooklyn Center Couple
A chain-reaction traffic crash in Utah killed a total of five people, four of whom were from the Twin Cities, including a couple from Brooklyn Center, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
The crash happened Thursday, Sept. 26, in central Utah near the city of Price on Highway 6.
Killed in the crash were Sang Her, 56, and Lee Thao, 38, both of Brooklyn Center.
Also killed were Bee Moua, 26, and Mai Lor, 25, both of St. Paul.
KSL-TV in Salt Lake City reported that Lor was pregnant and that she and Moua were married earlier this year.
A fifth person, Gustavo Mendoza, 35, from Helper, Utah, also died in the crash.
The four Minnesotans were traveling with a church group when they were struck.
photo of wreckage provided by Utah Highway Patrol
What Happened
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, a truck pulling two trailers swerved to miss an SUV that attempted to merge onto the highway. The truck lost control, crossed a median into oncoming traffic and struck a Nissan Rogue that the four Minnesotans were in, the patrol said. The truck ended up pushing the Nissan into a rock embankment.
“It was a very violent crash,” said Sgt. Chris Pugliese with the Utah Highway Patrol.
The fifth victim, Mendoza, was riding in an ATV along the highway’s shoulder when he was struck and killed.
The truck driver and the driver and passenger in the SUV that started the chain-reaction crash were not seriously hurt.
