Janice Peterson

A Genola man was killed and his three passengers seriously injured in an early-morning accident Monday.

Santaquin police chief Dennis Howard said 34-year-old Jose Guadelupe Almanza was driving south on 800 East in Genola at approximately 7 a.m. when he ran a stop sign at State Road 141. Almanza's small Plymouth was struck by an eastbound pickup truck on SR 141.

Howard said Almanza died at the scene, while his three female passengers were flown to area hospitals. Howard said the names of the passengers have not yet been released, though he believes they are related to Almanza. The driver of the pickup was uninjured.

Genola Mayor Eric Hazelet said the accident occurred at an intersection known as "Five Corners" to local residents. The intersection is made up of a T-junction, which is crossed over by S.R. 141.

Hazelet said the intersection was one of three on the priority list for changes in Genola. Many have thought it to be dangerous in the past, though he said this is by far the most serious accident to occur there, and most did not expect a fatality to happen.

"I don't like to see any accidents, so that's why it was on our list," he said.

The Utah Department of Transportation recently worked on the state road at a spot near the accident, and Hazelet said he brought up the "Five Corners" intersection to officials to see if any funding could be found. However, he said no formal discussions about fixing the intersection have occurred, something he hopes will change after Monday's tragic accident.

UDOT Region 3 spokesman Scott Thompson said it is hard to say what funding is available without some sort of design for a project. Some options are available for such projects, but he said he has not heard of anything for SR 141 other than the recent work.

"I don't see anything in the next year for Genola," he said.