ST. GEORGE — Three were transported to local hospitals, two in critical condition, after a single-engine airplane crashed Sunday afternoon just off Interstate 15 in Weber County.
According to authorities, the pilot and his passengers were transported to the hospital in critical condition after their aircraft crashed near South Airport Road alongside I-15 in Roy shortly before 3:30 p.m., Roy City Police Officer Stuart Hackworth said in a Facebook Live interview Sunday afternoon.
Hackworth said one of the men was flown to the hospital by Intermountain Life Flight, while the second man was ground transported and both remain in critical condition.
A bystander who witnessed the crash and ran to help both get out of the burning plane suffered smoke inhalation and was later transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment, Roy City Police Sgt. Matthew Gwynn told St. George News Sunday evening.
Gwynn also said that while the injuries to the pilot and passenger were critical, “we believe both men are going to make it.”
Hackworth reported that the plane ripped through a billboard and then crashed to the ground shortly after takeoff, but no further details were released during the live report.
Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration arrived at the crash site Sunday evening to investigate the cause of the crash, Hackworth said in the recorded interview.
Southbound I-15 was initially closed, Gwynn said, but reopened for travel with lane restrictions, primarily due to cleanup efforts that began shortly after the crash to remove the hazardous chemicals released when the aircraft’s fuel tank ruptured, which sent fuel spilling across the area.
Northbound traffic was also reduced to two lanes.
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