VIDEO/PHOTOS: A driver is lucky to be alive after a fiery crash Monday evening that not only destroyed their vehicle but also sparked several brush fires and shut down a major roadway in Murray. The accident happened near 5400 South and 1100 West, where a car veered off the road and slammed into a power pole. The impact caused the vehicle to burst into flames and sent sparks flying into the dry grass nearby. โIt doesnโt get much drier than this,โ said Assistant Fire Chief Stephen Olson of Murray City. โThe power pole sparked, the sparks landed in the grass, and it was off to the races.โ
Fire crews quickly responded to multiple fires on both the north and south sides of 5400 South, as well as another fire several blocks away that is believed to have been caused by the power outage sparking a transmitter. Fortunately, the driver managed to escape the burning vehicle without serious injury. โThis is a clear example of the fire danger weโre facing right now,โ said Olson. โIt doesnโt take much. As soon as it sparks, itโs running.โ Officials said the situation could have been much worse. The power lines above the crash site didnโt fall on the ground, avoiding a potentially deadly hazard if live wires had fallen onto the road.
