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Both McDonald and Love died from the impact of the crash. The two juvenile girls, a 15-year-old and an 8-year-old named Gracie, were both injured. The 8-year-old was seriously injured but is now in stable condition, while the 15-year-old luckily only suffered minor injuries. Maxwell, the driver of the Dodge, was also severely injured. His road to recovery will be difficult as he learns to walk again. Maxwell suffered fractures to his back, sternum, legs, and feet. He has already had to go through four surgeries, and will receive at least three more. The three injured victims were taken to several different hospitals for treatment, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. Maxwell was airlifted to Utah Valley Hospital.
On October 24th, Salt Lake City Fire Department confirmed Andrew Maxwell’s identity on social media as a fellow firefighter. They said that he has dedicated his career to helping people through the toughest times of their lives. They also gave information about the car accident and urged people to support him and his family through donations. Maxwell is a twenty-year veteran firefighter. As a child, he used to come visit the fire station. His father, John Maxwell, also worked as a firefighter and is a 31-year veteran. Both father and son have devoted years of their lives to fighting fires. The two of them have had lots of good times at Fire Station 8.
The Maxwell family not only have to care for their injured loved ones, but they also are grieving the death of young Liam Love. Losing a child is a horrible experience, and it’s difficult for people to understand that haven’t gone through it themselves. Sudden, wrongful death leaves a gaping hole in the lives of the deceased’s loved ones, and has a long-lasting impact. Liam’s family is grateful for the real-life heroes who helped at the accident scene, at the hospitals, and in their personal lives. There are multiple GoFundMe accounts dedicated to raising money for the Maxwell and Love families to use for medical and rehabilitation bills.
The incident is still under investigation by authorities. It has not been stated if the at-fault driver is believed to have been driving under the influence. Everyone in the Dodge was wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. On the day of the accident, the northbound lanes of I-15 were completely shut down while an investigation and cleanup took place. About seven hours after the accident happened, at noon, the lanes were opened up again.
Wrong-way accidents are some of the most serious auto accidents that can occur. Utah has been seeing a concerning rise in the number of wrong way crashes. In the past few years, over 44 people have died in wrong way accidents in Utah alone, while 54 people have been seriously injured. 42 percent of the vehicles involved in wrong-way crashes suffered disabling damage. Out of all the wrong way drivers, 89 percent were male, while only 11 percent were female. 82 percent of the drivers had Utah driver’s licenses. Most of them were either between 35-39 years old or 21-24 years old.
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Let’s look at when wrong way accidents are occurring. 9 percent of wrong way crashes happen in the months of November, December, January, February, and August each. May has the most amount of wrong way accidents with 11 percent. 2023 has seen the most wrong way accidents in the past few years, at 34. Wrong way crashes are most likely to happen on Sundays, with 22 percent of them occurring on that day. 19 percent of wrong way accidents happen on Monday, 18 percent on Friday, and 14 percent on Saturday.
The fatal crash in Millard County happened shortly after 5 in the morning, while it was still dark. When it’s dark outside, drivers can more easily get confused and end up causing a wrong way accident. 72 percent of wrong way accidents happen while driving in dark conditions. Around 60 percent of this type of crash happens between 8 in the evening and 4 in the morning. The hour with the most accidents is between 1 am and 2 am, with 14 percent of wrong way crashes happening at that time.
When it comes to where these accidents are happening, 44 percent of them occurred in Salt Lake County. 15 percent happened in Davis County, 9 percent in Utah County, and 7 percent in Tooele County. 22 percent of the wrong way accidents happen in Salt Lake City. The accident spoken about in this article happened on Interstate 15, which is where 41 percent of wrong way accidents in Utah occur. 71 percent of wrong way accidents happen in an urban area, which is likely because there’s more people in those areas. 29 percent of wrong way accidents in Utah happen in rural areas.
Utah Highway Patrol is trying to determine why more wrong way crashes have been occurring, and has created a committee to investigate. Most of these accidents happen because of drug or alcohol impairment. It’s important that drivers always stay alert, especially when driving at night. However, no matter how safe you are driving, there’s always the possibility that your vehicle could be hit by a driver going the wrong way.
If you or a loved one was injured in a wrong way accident, there is hope for getting compensation. Salt Lake Injury Law is prepared to defend you and recover damages. We know the terrible effects that wrong way crashes have on victims and their families. Salt Lake Injury Law’s personal injury lawyers understand what you are going through and want to help victims live their best lives possible after an accident. Reach out to us today to start on the road to getting justice.
