DRIVING BLIND
A VIDEO taken near a sandstorm which triggered a 22-vehicle pile-up and killed at least eight people shows the impossible driving conditions faced by motorists.
Footage shows how difficult it was to see after the Utah highway patrol said a period of high winds caused the dust storm and reduced visibility on Sunday afternoon.
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At least ten people were taken to the hospital in critical condition after the catastrophe unfolded on Interstate 15 near the town of Kanosh.
Trooper Andrew Battenfield said: "No one could see, so people started stopping, and then you just get a chain reaction.
"Nobody could see, and then all of a sudden, you’re slamming into a car. It’s just a horrific situation."
The highway patrol said in a that it "summoned troopers from Richfield and Beaver to assist," adding: "Multiple ground and air ambulances also responded to transport victims."
Several children were among the victims, Sgt. Cameron Rhoden confirmed.
"I can't remember in recent memory of (a crash) being this large, with this many vehicles and this many fatalities," Rhoden said.
The names of the victims will not be released until 24 hours after the families of the deceased have been notified, the UHP said.
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It is understood five of the victims were in one car, while two others were in another vehicle.
“We have vehicles all over. Several vehicles tried to swerve off the roadway. We have vehicles that are flipped up on their sides,” Rhoden said.
“One of the vehicles that was pulling a trailer, the trailer has pretty much completely been destroyed and is on the freeway.”
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