Owner of doghouse in fatal I-15 crash cooperating with police

Owner of doghouse in fatal I-15 crash cooperating with police

(iWitness submission)


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RIVERDALE — The owner of a doghouse that fell off a trailer onto I-15, sparking a crash that killed a Layton man and his 4-year-old daughter, has been located.

The man, whose name, age and city of residence were not immediately released, contacted the Utah Highway Patrol Monday after seeing news reports of the story.

On Sunday, Ryan Chambers, 30, and Evelynn Chambers, 4, were killed when their car, which was stopped in traffic on I-15 in Riverdale, was hit from behind by a another vehicle and pushed under the bumper of a semitrailer in front of them.

Alyssa Chambers, 28, and Kaya Chambers, 7, were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

Traffic had stopped because the large, wooden doghouse had fallen on the freeway and was blocking two lanes.

UHP Sgt. Todd Royce said the man didn't realize it was his debris that caused the fatal accident until he read news reports of the incident. He contacted the UHP the next day, said Royce, who described the man as being "100 percent cooperative."


Charges are pending on everything to do with this crash... This crash is 100 percent preventable. In this case, half of a family lost their lives, and it's horrible.

–UHP Sgt. Todd Royce


The man had just picked up the doghouse and was hauling it home in his trailer, he said. Royce did not know Wednesday whether the dog house was strapped down or what caused it to fall off the trailer.

He didn't realize until farther up the road that the doghouse was no longer in his trailer, Royce said. He did not go back to attempt to retrieve it.

The fatal crash is being investigated on two fronts: from the debris left on the road, and the driver who slammed into the back of Chambers' car without braking.

"Charges are pending on everything to do with this crash," Royce said.

In both cases, Royce said the accident could have been avoided if the doghouse had been properly secured or if the driver had been paying attention to the road.

"This crash is 100 percent preventable," he said. "In this case, half of a family lost their lives, and it's horrible."

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