EAGLE MOUNTAIN – There have been a lot of questions asked since we did an article on the number of traffic accidents around the intersection of Pony Express and Ranches Parkway.
Carolyn Love, a member of the Eagle Mountain City Council, reached out to us after we published the article that contained the number of incidents in that area. There were 30 incidents in the area sine January 1, 2021. Of those 30 incidents three (3) of them were reported to include not just property damage put personal injury as well.
Councilmember Love contacted the Sheriff’s office to get some more details and made this statement:
“I found your article about the Pony Express and Ranches intersection interesting. I have noticed some difficulties with visibility there.
I asked law enforcement to follow up to see if there was a common cause that could be addressed.
This was their response: We have found 12 at the intersection. 7 of the remaining occurred in the Chevron parking lot, 1 at six sisters, the rest were along various points of pony express or along Ranches Pkwy. These were probably called in originally at or near the intersection because it’s a “known” street and the reporting didn’t include the proper cross street.
I am going to continue to work with them to determine the causes of the accidents in the intersection.
Thank you for compiling this data to bring this issue to light.”
Incident Report Details
I reached out to the Utah County Sheriff department to get a copy of the incident report for the accident that involved the Alpine School District bus. I have included some of the information found in the incident report here.
Deputy K Cook, the responsible officer on the scene, noted this in the report. “On November 8, 20201, I responded to a call of a vehicle accident. I contacted the individuals involved, gathered information and documented this report. One driver was cited.”
The narrative continues, “I arrived on scene and contact assisting deputies. Assisting deputies advised negative injuries to those who were involved in the accident. I observed EMS staff on scene evaluating drivers and passengers involve in the accident.
I observed 5 vehicles in the number 1 lane on Pony Express Parkway facing East
…
The vehicles were in the order of yellow school bus, black Dodge truck, black GMC SUV, white Chevrolet van, and red Toyota Prius.”
After the report identifies the drivers of each of the vehicles, it then continues, “The Yellow School bus was full of children. The school bus was recently departed from Frontier Middle School en route to drop off children from the school day.
Alpine School District Staff responded and called for a second school bus to transport the children away from the scene.”
I contacted the School and David T. Stephenson the Executive Director of External Relations and Communications stated, “There were approximately 60 students from Frontier Middle School on the bus. A second bus was brought in to transport the students home. We appreciate the quick response of emergency response teams and are thankful there were no injuries.” When asked about the driver Stephenson responded, “The driver is a very experienced driver.”
The Sheriff’s incident continues, “EMS staff confirmed no injuries to children onboard the school bus.
Alpine School District Staff contacted the parents of the children involved.
The second school bus transported the children away from the scene.”
The driver of the school bus was given a citation for following too closely, 41-6a-711
The report included this detail on how the accident occurred (I should note that I have removed the name of the school bus driver from this account, and replaced it with the word DRIVER), “I contacted the driver of the school bus, DRIVER. DRIVER advised he was operating the school bus at the time of the accident. DRIVER advised he looked in the mirror to check on the children/passengers. DRIVER advised when he looked back at the roadway traffic was stopped. DRIVER advised he hit the back of the Dodge Truck.
I observed tire skid marks from the bus on the road way.”
Cleaning up the accident did take some time and force the closure of the roadway for a short period of time. “Tow trucks responded to the scene and transported the yellow bus, black Dodge truck, and black GMC SUV from the scene. Tow truck drivers provided their information to the vehicle owners.
The red Toyota Prius and White Chevrolet van operated away from the scene under their own power.
Drivers of the vehicles involved were transported from the scene by family or work staff.
No one involved in the accident was transported from the scene by EMS.
No further action taken.”
The bus involved in the accident was bus 969, or the Mickey Mouse Bus. It takes passengers to and from Frontier Middle School and services the North-East area of Eagle Mountain on the North side of SR-73.
Interactive Bus Stop Map from Alpine School District for Bus 969
We are glad to report that only property damage was a result of this accident and that there were no personal injuries. This area is one of the main intersections in and out of Eagle Mountain. Lets all just slow down, have patience for each other, and keep our eyes on the road.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.