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Show I r " i f ."'' ' -i X ' V I s . . . --, nff s f l - i I, j j l-J . t J v i : f ' '" --..,y-.J--' I 1 : r-j I x- V- . ' x ' ! ! I - - i j j f , I I , - - : "s i.xT ' 1 x fOwi r. -v. i HISSES SHARP CURVE By GARY R. BLODGETT Kaysville Exit off Interstate Highway 15 a sharp, hard-to-negotiate curve claimed its third "victim" last weekend, but the driver and his relief driver escaped serious injury. MOTORISTS who regularly travel 1-15, along with local residents, have strongly objected ob-jected to the curve structure of the exit but a safety representative from the State Department of Transportation Transporta-tion (DOT) blames the motorists. The safety representative, who declined to be identified, commented at the accident scene that the exit is "safe if motorists would only obey the reduced speed limit signs. "THERE ARE two 40 miles-per-hour signs at the south end of the exit as vehicles leave the interstate temporarily, but few motorists mo-torists will obey them." The speed limit is reduced to 40 for about 300 yards as motorists exit the interstate, make a sharp curve, and gradually upgrade to again enter the interstate. All This cab and its tractor trailer were demolished last weekend when the California-based rig missed the sharp curve of Kaysville's 200 North Exit off Interstate-15. It was the third accident at this site in recent weeks. Driver had to be pried from the cab. vehicles must follow this route until work is completed on the Kaysville 200 North overpass, it was explained. THE semitrailer truck that failed the curve and rolled over at least twice was demolished. Its two occupants were trapped inside the smashed truck cab one for nearly an hour until he could be pried free, according to investigating investigat-ing officers. THEY SAID the accident happened early Friday morning morn-ing when the semitruck- trailer overturned at a speed of about 55 miles per hour. The driver, from southern California, told officers that it was dark and he did not see the reduced speed limit signs until it was too late. "I HIT the brakes and tried desperately to maintain control, con-trol, but I was right upon the curve and skidding sideways," he said. The truck split apart the trailer being ripped from the cab on the first roll and ending end-ing up about 100 feet apart. "ROLLING over in the soft dirt and mud off the concrete probably saved their lives," said one observer. But despite the soft ground, the truck's cab was badly smashed. "I DON'T know what more we (DOT) can do to make this a safer exit," the safety representative said. "We had thought of providing a wider pattern at the curve, but that would only entice drivers to take the curve at a higher speed." The exit which loops around to the east of the 200 North overpass west of Kaysville Kays-ville had a gradual slope off the interstate, levels at the curve, and then has a gradual slope up to the highway. WHAT'S GOING to happen when the exit gets a little slick, the safety representative representa-tive was asked? "I guess we will have more of this," he replied, nodding his head toward the overturned over-turned truck. BUT HE emphasized that the design of the exit is as good and safe as possible to allow traffic to detour the construction on the overpass. "Our (DOT) only other alternative al-ternative would be to leave the northbound lanes closed to traffic and continue to use the old highway (U.S. 91) through the winter. BUT DOT officials felt it would be better and safer, to open the new lanes northbound north-bound and use the old highway high-way for southbound traffic," he said. But the new lanes have been open only since Thanksgiving and three trucks already have missed the curve and rolled over. No one was seriously injured. MEANWHILE, liquid fer-r fer-r tilizer that was spilled from Friday's mishap seeped into Holmes Creek, causing concern con-cern for Davis County environmental en-vironmental health officials. Richard Harvey, county environmental en-vironmental health director, and Rand Webb, specialist, were at the scene Friday. "WE dispatched a back hoe from the overpass construction construc-tion project by M. Morrin and Sons and had an earth-filled dam block Holmes Creek west of the highway," said Mr. Harvey. He said no fertilizer contents con-tents got into the water system sys-tem used by residents of the area. |