Rollover on I-15 near Littlefield kills 2 Utah teens

MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — Two Utah teenagers involved in a single-vehicle rollover on Interstate 15 in northern Arizona were killed when their SUV went off the the road and crashed into a hillside Saturday afternoon.

Officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to the crash northbound I-15 near mile marker 12, a few miles north of Littlefield, Arizona.

A passerby called 911 after they witnessed the small SUV veering to the right, at what the witness described as a high rate of speed, before it crashed into the side of a hill several yards from the roadway, trooper Steve Hughes of the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.

Upon arrival officers found the teenage driver and passenger fatally injured in the crash, and once emergency medical personnel arrived, both were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to witness statements, the vehicle was heading north on I-15 and cut across both lanes of travel before it went off the soft shoulder to the right.

The car continued skidding or sliding toward a deep ravine approximately 30 feet from the shoulder of the road. Once the vehicle hit the edge of the cliff, it was launched through the air across the crevasse until it struck the side of the hill.

The vehicle passenger’s side struck the hill, Hughes said, adding, “it appears the vehicle rotated sideways before it struck the side, possibly before leaving the shoulder, but it was airborne for more than 50 feet.”

Other than being identified as from Utah by troopers, no further details about the teens’ exact ages and hometown have been released pending notification of next-of-kin.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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