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Speed To Blame For Semi Rollerover Crash In Garden City

UPDATE: The driver in the semi-truck accident has died. 31-year-old Ahmed M. Abdelgader was operating the Kenworth semi-truck carrying a load of butter in boxes. The passenger is in critical condition. 

ORIGINAL STORY: The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of US 89 and HWY 30 in Garden City. The semi was heading northbound on US 89, the highway that connects Logan to the Bear Lake area and comes to a T interaction when it meets HWY 30.

Sargent Cade Brenchley with the Utah Highway Patrol said the driver was reported driving somewhat recklessly through the canyon.

“The semi came through the intersection,” he said. “Tried to make a right turn at a high rate of speed – 45 or 50 at first look. Went through the intersection, tried to turn right, the trailer overturned, slammed into the building, coming to a rest next to another building."

The building that was in the line of the crash was Pugstone’s Sporting, a sporting goods store owned by Keri Pugmire and her husband.

“We were open today,” she said. “We closed at 5 o’clock. My husband stayed to do some paperwork. Shut the doors about 6:10. Came home to eat dinner and as soon as he walked in the door, we live five miles from our store, and got a call that the semi had crashed into our buildings.”

She said the building is a total loss and Sargent Brenchley said it is not structurally safe to enter.

“In fact, the owner of the building and the owner of the merchandise inside would like to get those out," Brenchley said. "Those are going to need to be secured however he is not able to go in and get those because the building is not structurally sound.”

The semi truck’s driver and passenger are in critical condition. Sargent Brenchley said the passenger’s ID is from Indiana and said both are probably from back East.