Maserati driver going wrong way on I-15 leads to head-on crash, rollover

An Isuzu Trooper rests upside down after a head-on crash caused by a wrong-way driver in Weber County Saturday morning, Roy, Utah, Jan. 6, 2018 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A head-on collision involving a wrong-way driver on Interstate 15 in Weber County sent one driver to the hospital and another driver to jail early Saturday morning.

Shortly after 12:30 a.m. Utah Highway Patrol and other emergency personnel were dispatched to a reported rollover on northbound I-15 at the Riverdale Road exit in Roy involving two single-occupant vehicles, a white Maserati and a white Isuzu Trooper SUV, according to a statement released by UHP Trooper Lawrence Hopper.

White Maserati is severely damaged after its driver hit an Isuzu head-on Saturday morning, Roy, Utah, Jan. 6, 2018 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

The driver of the Isuzu was transported to McKay Hospital in Ogden with serious but not life-threatening injuries, including a shattered pelvis and severe cuts on her head, Hopper said in the statement.

The driver of the Maserati, later identified as 44-year-old Gary Shook, was also injured in the crash, suffering lacerations to his head.

Troopers learned during the investigation that the driver of the Maserati was southbound in a northbound lane of I-15 when the incident occurred.

The Maserati struck the northbound Isuzu head-on, which flipped the SUV up and over the cable barrier before it crashed onto the left shoulder of the interstate on the southbound side.

The driver of the Maserati had been consuming alcohol before he started driving, Hopper said.

Shook was transported to the hospital to be treated for his injuries, and once discharged, he was arrested for driving under the influence and booked into the Weber County Correctional Facility in Ogden.

The driver of the Maserati could face additional charges after the crash investigation report is forwarded to the district attorney’s office, Hopper told St. George News, noting that, due to the severity of the crash, the DUI count could be enhanced.

Hopper added that any head-on crash that involves freeway speeds is, more often than not, unavoidable, due to the driver having so little time to react, if any time at all.

The fact that both drivers involved in the crash were wearing seat belts made for a better outcome, Hopper said

“In this case especially, I am convinced that her injuries would have been much worse had she not been wearing her seat belt,” he said, referring to the Isuzu driver. “Particularly with the speed that’s involved with these wrong-way driver crashes, this could have ended so much worse.”

“Always, always wear your seat belt,” Hopper said.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  • Caveat_Emptor January 7, 2018 at 9:53 am

    SLC Local TV News played a dashcam video recorded by a taxi driver of this accident.
    The outcome could have been fatal for both drivers. The Isuzu SUV frame structure and ride height advantage might have been a factor. Let’s hope the DA explores more serious charges, as a result of the severe damage to an innocent driver.

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