On Wednesday, September 27, around 7 p.m., a southbound Ford F150 attempted to pass a Kenworth Semi, then collided head-on with an oncoming Ford Edge SUV in the northbound lane.
According to the report from Utah Department of Public Safety, “The pickup did not have sufficient distance to complete the pass and impacted the northbound Edge.” The collision pushed the vehicles into the path of the Kenworth, causing the semi to impact the vehicles and forcing it off of the road to the left. The semi’s trailer remained partially on the roadway as the truck dug itself to a stop on the roadside.
The driver of the F150, Allen Huntington, 83, of Kanab, was transported by air to a nearby hospital in critical condition and ultimately passed away during lifesaving attempts. His son-in-law occupying the passenger seat was transported with moderate injuries.
Of the four occupants in the northbound Ford Edge, two were transported by air in critical condition and two were transported by ground with non-life-threatening injuries.
Despite a secondary collision as the semi was impacted by the two head-on vehicles, the driver was mostly unharmed and the passenger was transported to a nearby hospital with only minor to moderate harm.
Local law enforcement and medical personnel arrived on scene to offer medical assistance, close down the road and begin cleaning up the debris from the impact. The scene took around three hours to clean up to the point that the road was usable again, including getting the semi out of its impact site and clear of the roadway entirely.
The authorities offered their condolences to those affected by the collision, especially those that lost a loved one when Huntington passed away, as did members of the local community who know him and his family well; some community members in Kanab and Fredonia have started fundraising for funeral efforts which can be found on the “Kanab Unclassifieds” Facebook page.
