I-15 wrong-way driver in southern Utah

On Sunday, February 16, 2025, at about 02:18 AM, a 2006 Cadillac was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes, beginning at milepost 81. A Trooper was in a position to actively respond and attempted to intervene with the wrong-way driver. He located the vehicle near milepost 88.5 northbound and attempted to stop it. The Cadillac accelerated to approximately 90 mph. The wrong-way driver swerved toward him, prompting him to attempt a PIT maneuver on the vehicle’s rear quarter panel. However, the driver swerved to avoid impact and continued traveling northbound in the southbound lanes. The Cadillac then increased its speed to approximately 115–120 mph before slowing back down to 90 mph. The Cadillac swerved into a 2024 Freightliner, causing a collision at milepost 98 southbound. The Cadillac spun off into the median and rolled. The Freightliner subsequently crossed the median into the northbound travel lanes and came to a stop. A 2014 Toyota then struck the trailer of the Freightliner. As traffic came to a standstill, a 2011 Freightliner, traveling northbound in the northbound lanes, collided with the trailer of the first semi, splitting it in half. After this collision, the second Freightliner then impacted the rear of the Toyota. The two female occupants of the Toyota were transported by ground to an area hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the Cadillac was trapped and required extrication. Once he was removed from the vehicle, he was airlifted in critical condition. Traffic was significantly impacted, with both northbound and southbound lanes shut down for over two hours.