Courtesy Utah County Sheriff's Office

Four 17-year-old’s are “lucky to be alive,” Utah County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Spencer Cannon reported after their car drove off the side of the road up Payson Canyon along the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway. The sheriff’s office and Payson Fire & Rescue responded Friday to the accident at 2:27 a.m.

The car, a 2013 blue Dodge Dart, had fallen 100 feet off the side of the road, and when the respondents arrived at the scene they found that all occupants were alive but had sustained injuries.

A car reportedly was driving behind the teens when they drove off the road, and someone in the second vehicle immediately called 911. Cannon said the four teenagers were “fortunate” there was someone following behind them and who saw them because the embankment there is very steep. Had the people not called, he said, one of the injured teenagers might have had to walk almost 10 miles down the canyon, as they likely would have lost their phones.

In addition, Cannon said, since they were nearly 10 miles up, it took almost 10-20 minutes for first responders to arrive at the scene. With the cool night and the injuries sustained, Cannon said they were lucky the call got to dispatch so soon.

The call was received at 2:27 a.m. and the first responder to arrive was the fire chief at 2:48 a.m. He was followed closely by the first deputy and ambulance and then the first fire engine. Closely after, the other responders arrived. Cannon said the incident illustrates the importance of driving cautiously up the canyon, especially at night, since it may take more time for help to arrive.

Courtesy Utah County Sheriff's Office

One of the female passengers who was not wearing a seatbelt was ejected from the car and found unconscious near where the car stopped. Cannon said she was likely ejected on first impact, which was likely when the car hit a tree before hitting the ground.

“She was fully out of the car and fully off of the road,” Cannon said. She was taken to Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital via an AirMed helicopter. The last update was that she was conscious, responsive and talking at the hospital.

The driver, a 17-year-old girl, experienced a “serious head laceration,” Cannon said. Another female passenger was pinned in the car where the body of the car had been crushed and was suspected to have a broken arm. First responders used the Jaws of Life to remove the window and door posts and the hood of the car to unpin her arm and get her safely out of the car.

There was also one male passenger whose lower leg was broken.

In a Facebook post put out by the sheriff’s office, Cannon stated, “All are expected to survive. I’ve told young people many times that there are a lot of things that can happen when they are out after dark or after midnight – and not very many of those things are good!”

Courtesy Utah County Sheriff's Office

The cause of the car being driven off the side of the road is uncertain. The group reportedly was going around a hairpin turn in the road when the car went over the edge. Cannon said the road was recently repaved, so poor conditions aren’t suspected.

More likely, Cannon said, is that the crash was due to speeding, distraction, inattention to driving, fatigue or a combination of several factors. “It didn’t appear that there was any effort to stop,” he said. “There may have been (an effort) to slow down, but not realizing quick enough.”

He cautioned that when driving in the canyon, especially at night, drivers should be well rested, know the nature of the road and drive accordingly, be aware of surroundings such as sharp turns and wildlife, and always exercise caution, specifically in regard to speed. More generally, he added, drivers can keep themselves safe by wearing a seatbelt, minimizing distractions, following the speed limit and avoiding driving late at night — especially if they’re younger with less experience behind the wheel.

“The risks are there,” he said. “It’s a big decision to let a teenager have that responsibility to drive at that time of night.”