Utah trooper injured after SUV rear ends cruiser on I-15

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (AP) — Authorities say a Utah Highway Patrol trooper has been critically injured after a sport utility vehicle rear ended a cruiser during a traffic stop on Interstate 15 near Pleasant Grove.

Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce says the incident happened around 10:50 a.m. Monday, when the trooper and the car he had pulled over where inside the emergency lane of southbound I-15.

Royce says the cruiser crashed into the stopped vehicle after being hit.

Royce says the trooper suffered critical injuries but is expected to recover. The driver of the SUV also has critical, but non-life threatening injuries. The trooper, the SUV’s driver and the woman who had been pulled over remain at a Provo hospital.

Royce says it’s unclear whether the trooper was inside the cruiser when the crash happened.