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TAYLORSVILLE — A confrontation between two drivers that police say initially started with one driver not allowing the other to pull into traffic ended in a three-car crash on Monday.
Just before 5 p.m., a vehicle was trying to pull out of a gas station onto 4700 South near 2700 West. But a driver already on 4700 South, Samuel Thomas Nix, 22, would not let the second vehicle pull out in front of him and later told police "he could wait," referring to the second driver, according to a police booking affidavit.
The driver, trying to merge into traffic, made a hand gesture toward Nix before being able to pull out of the gas station behind Nix, the affidavit states.
As the vehicles continued east on 4700 South, Nix stayed in the far-right lane while the driver who pulled into traffic got into the middle lane.
When the second driver drove up next to Nix, Nix "intentionally swerved to the left" and hit the second vehicle, according to the affidavit. The impact, however, caused Nix to lose control of his vehicle, go up and over the cement median and crash into a third vehicle traveling west, police said.
The third vehicle, occupied by an adult and a child, sustained heavy damage. Fortunately, police say the injuries were minor.
Nix was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of assault with a road-rage penalty enhancement.
