Another accident at SR-29 and Center

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

At 7:58 a.m. on Oct. 15 a call came into the Emery County Dispatch Center concerning an accident on SR-29 and Center Street in Castle Dale.
An Emery County Road Department truck driven by Thad Morris was making a right hand turn from SR-29 onto Center Street when it was struck in the fuel tank by a car driven by Michelle Beckstead of Orangeville.
Investigators at the scene said there weren’t any skid marks and it appeared the driver of the car just wasn’t paying attention to the truck. The truck had swung wide to make the turn down Center Street which opened up a small space in the lane which the car apparently moved into. The Castle Dale Fire Department assisted on the scene and they broke the passenger side window to get her out of the vehicle as the door on the drivers side was pinned against the fuel tank.
The driver of the car was visibly shaken and incoherent at the scene. She was transported to Castleview Hospital for treatment. The driver of the truck was shaken up but not injured in the accident.
Morris Sorensen is the Emery County Road Department head he said the speed limit along that stretch of road along the high school is marked at 50 m.p.h. It is a school zone and also a residential area, within the Castle Dale City limits and the speed along there shouldn’t be that fast.
There have been several accidents at that corner in recent years. Two this year involving Emery County employees.
Lt. Bill Downard from the Emery County Sheriff’s Office said it is a state road and any actions taken on the road will need to come from the Utah Department of Transportation. He agreed there needs to be something done at that intersection due to several accidents. A turning lane onto Center Street could be one solution as well as a reduced speed limit along the stretch.
The intersection is one of the busiest in the county with the traffic to the high school and use by Orangeville and Castle Dale residents in their daily activities.