Fatal crash closes S.R.-172 in Salt Lake City after vehicle fire

SALT LAKE CITY — A driver was killed early Saturday after losing control of a vehicle traveling at a high speed and crashing into a steel traffic control pole in Salt Lake City, police said.

The vehicle was traveling southbound on state Route 172 near 5600 West and 1730 South when the driver lost control and collided with the pole, said Glen Mills, Salt Lake police chief of staff.

The driver appears to have died on impact, Mills said.

The vehicle caught fire and was fully engulfed in flames when Utah Highway Patrol troopers responded, trooper Davies Sanchez said. Salt Lake City Fire Department crews also responded, but the one fatality had been reported before they arrived, Salt Lake Fire Capt. Chad Jepperson said.

The crash was reported at approximately 12:26 a.m., according to the Utah Department of Transportation. Both northbound and southbound lanes of S.R.-172 were closed following the crash.

The scene was cleared at approximately 7:49 a.m., according to the Salt Lake City Police Department's dispatch board.

The driver's identity has not been released. The crash remains under investigation.

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