A Park City Police Department K-9 was transported to an emergency veterinary hospital in Salt Lake City on Tuesday morning after he jumped off the freeway overpass during an investigation into a suspicious package on Interstate 80.

The K-9, named Bruno, sustained “serious injuries,” according to a statement from the department.

“Bruno is more than a police K-9 — he is a partner, a member of our department and an important part of the Park City Police family,” the Police Department statement said. “Our thoughts are with Bruno and his handler as he receives the care he needs.”

The Police Department thanked medical personnel on scene, Life Flight, the Utah Highway Patrol, “and everyone who stepped in to help” assist Bruno after the accident.

“We know our community cares deeply about Bruno, and we will share additional information about his condition when we are able,” the statement said.

The Utah Highway Patrol closed portions of I-80 and U.S. 40 because of a “suspicious item,” which led to a lengthy morning commute for those traveling in the Snyderville Basin.

As of 10:45 a.m., Sgt. Skyler Talbot with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office said the suspicious item, which appeared to be a battery for an e-bike, was cleared and “is no longer a concern.” The roads have since reopened.

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A semi-truck hauling oil tanks lost control on Interstate 80 after another vehicle hit an elk early Thursday morning, sending one person to the hospital with critical injuries and shutting down the highway for multiple hours.

Utah Highway Patrol officials said the accident happened around 5 a.m. between the Kimball Junction and U.S. 40 interchange. A driver in a Buick SUV collided with an elk, pulled over and parked on the right shoulder. A second vehicle hit the elk’s carcass and stopped on the left shoulder.

A third car then swerved to avoid the carcass and the second car, but the maneuver disabled the vehicle and caused it to partially block two lanes of traffic.

The semi-truck attempted to swerve to avoid hitting the third car, but the pup trailer attached to the back struck the vehicle. The trailer overturned and was dragged down the interstate before the truck came to a stop on the right shoulder.

The Park City Fire District responded to assist Utah Highway Patrol troopers with the oil leaking from the trailer.

The driver of the Buick was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the third vehicle was transported to the hospital with critical injuries, but Utah Highway Patrol officials said the driver was stable around 11:45 a.m.

The westbound lanes of I-80 were still closed by the time morning rush hour hit and remained closed for several hours. Traffic was diverted to U.S. 40, and drivers were encouraged to use alternate routes because of heavy delays in the area.

All westbound lanes reopened around noon.

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Traffic on Main Street was expected to be bad in early January, even after the busy holiday stretch. But at some points, the backups were apparently even worse than they should have been.

The Park City Police Department logged a series of cases along the shopping, dining and entertainment strip involving drivers that stopped to let people out of the vehicle or to wait for passengers to get inside. When a vehicle stops in a travel lane on a road as busy as Main Street, a backup is a likely result.

The traffic during the first week of January appeared to be lighter than it was between Christmas and New Year’s, traditionally one of the busiest stretches on the tourism calendar, but there were issues nonetheless.

It is unusual for the Police Department to report so many cases involving vehicles stopped in a travel lane during a concentrated period. Public police logs generally did not provide details about any enforcement action taken against the drivers, but the agency is believed to issue warnings in many traffic-related cases unless they are egregious violations or the person involved is a repeat offender. The recent cases were reported over the course of days and at differing times of day.

The Police Department regularly conducts traffic patrols that net drivers for a variety of traffic offenses like speeding and turning violations, and there were cases like those reported in early January as well.

Vehicles stopping in a travel lane, though, create a different sort of issues for traffic, particularly on Main Street, as drivers attempt to navigate around them into the oncoming lane of travel. There is also the additional issue of pedestrians crossing Main Street.

The vehicles that are seen stopped in a travel lane sometimes are part of the transportation industry, rideshares or cars driven by family or friends of people who are being dropped off or picked up.

Some of the cases reported by the Police Department:

• On Saturday, Jan. 6, at 11:08 p.m., an officer saw a northbound driver stop on the 500 block of Main Street, outside a restaurant. The driver was picking up family members, the police said.
• On Jan. 6 at 5:38 p.m., an officer observed a driver “stopping to let family out” in the area of the Main Street-Heber Avenue intersection. The officer issued a warning.
• On Jan. 6 at 1:36 a.m., an officer watched a vehicle stop on the 400 block of Main Street “to load friends.”
• On Friday, Jan. 5, at 7:58 p.m., an officer saw a northbound vehicle stop on Main Street to let people inside on the 500 block of the street. The passengers were leaving a restaurant, the police said. 
• On Thursday, Jan. 4, at 6:55 p.m., an officer found a vehicle that was stopped on the 300 block of Main Street. Public police logs indicated the “driver had exited the vehicle to let passengers out” at the Egyptian Theatre.
• On Wednesday, Jan. 3, at 11:01 p.m., a police officer who was driving uphill saw a truck on the 400 block of Main Street “stopped in the middle of traffic to load passengers.”

The traffic along Main Street will likely temporarily drop through the middle of January before the sharp increase expected with the Sundance Film Festival. The traffic during Sundance in the Main Street core and elsewhere in Park City is usually some of the worst of the year. The festival opens Jan. 18 and runs through Jan. 28. The traffic is usually worst during the first days.

The post Park City police encounter drivers stopping on Main Street, a contributor to backups appeared first on Park Record.

The traffic on Main Street and other roads through much of Park City was, as expected, heavy during the holidays, as Parkites, visitors, workers and the transportation industry descended on the shopping, dining and entertainment strip.

The Park City Police Department was busy with traffic-related cases in the Old Town core and elsewhere with the crowds stretching through the holidays. The cases, including parking-related reports in addition to the ones centered on traffic, did not appear to be unusual for the holidays, but they illustrate the tremendous traffic pressure on Park City at peak times in the tourism industry.

Park City leaders for years have attempted to address the crush of vehicles on Main Street and elsewhere in Old Town with varying degrees of success. The municipal government anticipated the holiday stretch would be busy and took steps designed to manage the traffic.

In one of the calls to the police, on Dec. 28 at 10:30 a.m., a person reported “tourist traffic is heavy” and drivers were speeding along the S.R. 224 entryway at more than 20 mph over the limit.

Some of the recent cases reported to the police:

• On Dec. 31 at 6:07 a.m., an officer pulled over a driver in the area of Park Avenue and Iron Horse Drive, where the person failed to yield to traffic, failed to maintain a lane and did not use a turn signal. Public police logs did not provide details about whether the person received a ticket or a warning.
• On Dec. 30 at 1:40 p.m., a police officer pulled over a driver in the area of the intersection of S.R. 224 and Meadows Drive, where the vehicle was clocked on radar at 66 mph in a location where the posted speed limit is 45 mph. It appeared from public police logs the driver received a written warning. There was a series of traffic stops that day along the S.R. 224 corridor at 60-plus mph.
• On Dec. 29 at 12:51 a.m., an officer stopped a driver in the area of the intersection of Deer Valley Drive and Aerie Drive, indicating the person made a prohibited left turn at Heber Avenue and Deer Valley Drive and was speeding at 50 mph in a location where the posted speed limit is 40 mph. The speeding resulted in a warning, but public police logs did not provide details about the resolution of the turning issue.
• On Dec. 28 at 12:56 a.m., an officer pulled over a driver after the vehicle failed to stop at a red light at S.R. 224 and Holiday Ranch Loop Road. Public police logs did not provide details about whether the driver received a ticket or a warning.
• On Dec. 28 at 7:13 p.m. an officer stopped a driver after observing a vehicle make a prohibited left turn from Marsac Avenue to Hillside Avenue. There was a similar case just earlier.
• On Dec. 28 at 2:56 p.m., a vehicle was seen parked in a spot in the area of the intersection of Park Avenue and 8^th Street where parking is prohibited. The police said the driver was there and was “told to move immediately.”

The post Park City holiday stretch complaint: ‘Tourist traffic is heavy’ on roads appeared first on Park Record.

Barb Hutchison on Monday afternoon stationed herself at the corner of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard, close to the Olympic Welcome Plaza and one of the busiest intersections in Park City.

As traffic picked up at the end of the ski day, car after car passed her as she stood on the sidewalk holding a homemade sign. Hutchison had a simple message for the drivers, one resonant in a community where traffic and speeding have long been at the forefront of public discourse. 

One side of the sign urged drivers not to speed, hoping they have heart. The other side wanted them to “Value others not texting,” a message that youngsters at a Heber City library helped her craft.

Hutchison is mounting a one-person campaign on the roadside as a means to address speeding and distracted driving. Speeding and other traffic-related offenses are common in Park City. The Police Department pulls over drivers at a steady clip each week for a variety of suspected offenses like speeding, other categories of moving and equipment violations.

Hutchison has no connection to the Police Department even as she attempts in her way to combat some of the same issues as the officers.

“I’m willing to stand out there,” she said. “I care about the people.”

Hutchison has lived in Heber City since 2004 and lived in Park City for approximately two years before moving to the Wasatch County community. She still drives into Park City frequently and has seen many wrecks.

“There’s just been so many car accidents … between Park City and Heber in the last four, five years,” she said.

Hutchison said she sees a “lot of entitlement” displayed by drivers. She said, as an example, there is regular speeding on S.R. 224, the state highway that serves as one of Park City’s entryways. The drivers on S.R. 224 “just floor it,” she said. She said she also witnesses aggressive driving such as tailgating, as “egos start to fly.” She said speeding may be fun for some drivers, but it impacts victims of accidents and the police who must respond.

Hutchison said she started the roadside sign holding along Main Street in Heber City on Thanksgiving and began the Park City effort in the middle of December. She has since stood in the Park City area twice and in Heber City five times. She appeared in the Park City area just as traffic began to increase with the busy holiday stretch approaching. There was steady traffic passing her location during the 3 p.m. hour on Monday as skiers, snowboarders and commuters were leaving Park City.

At least one driver did not initially understand her goal and mistakenly believed she was in need. On Thanksgiving, she said, the couple in that vehicle stopped to give her $20. She told them she was not in need and they gave her the money anyway to spend on her efforts. She used the money to purchase supplies for additional signs.

She described the reaction of drivers as being mostly in favor of her message. They have given her the thumbs-up sign and honked in encouragement.

“It affects me,” she said about speeding and texting while driving. “I don’t have to live there to care.”

The post Park City one-person roadside campaign urges drivers not to speed, text appeared first on Park Record.

The Park City Police Department in mid-November received two reports within hours of each other involving vehicles that were driving erratically.

The cases were logged on Thursday, Nov. 16.

The Police Department at 1:32 p.m. received information about a van that reportedly “crossed over into median” in the area of Kearns Boulevard and Park Avenue and “cut people off.” The vehicle was described as a van that was dark in color, either black or blue, with the “back window blown out.” The police attempted to locate the vehicle, but it was not clear from public police logs whether officers were successful.

A pickup truck, meanwhile, was reportedly seen “swerving to both” sides of the road and almost crashing in the area of Kearns Boulevard and Monitor Drive at 10:25 a.m. The police were told the vehicle swerved up to eight times. The person who contacted the police said the vehicle was still in sight during the call. It was not clear from public police logs whether an officer found the pickup truck.

Other incidents reported to the Police Department recently include:

On Sunday, Nov. 19 at 10:14 p.m., the police received a complaint about someone playing music that was described as loud on Annie Oakley Drive. The police logged the case as suspected disturbing the peace.

A police officer pulled a driver over at 10:35 a.m. in the area of the municipal public works campus off Iron Horse Drive after, according to the agency, the vehicle drove past a sign designating the location for authorized vehicles only. The police said the driver indicated they work for a firm contracted by City Hall and they are allowed in the location.

Several vehicles were seen parked at City Park shortly before 6 a.m. There is a prohibition of parking there from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. The police issued warnings. There were similar cases reported at that time on Park Avenue.

A party was reported somewhere along Park Avenue at 12:11 a.m. The person who contacted the police was in a place next to the gathering, according to public police logs.

On Saturday, Nov. 18 at 3:49 p.m., an officer pulled over a driver on S.R. 224 after, according to the police, the vehicle did not move into another lane while a police vehicles was on the side of the road. A similar case was reported along the same stretch of S.R. 224 at 3:36 p.m.

On Friday, Nov. 17 at 10:15 p.m., music, described as loud, was reported in a residence along Prospector Avenue. The person did not request an officer contact them, the police said. The department logged the case as suspected disturbing the peace.

A police officer pulled over a driver in Old Town at 12:22 p.m. after, the agency said, the person was seen driving southbound on Park Avenue. The vehicle was apparently past a ‘Do not enter’ sign at the Park Avenue-Heber Avenue intersection, according to public police logs. The logs did not provide information about whether the driver received a ticket or a warning.

Two trailers, without license plates, were reported to have been left in a parking lot in the area of Bonanza Drive and Munchkin Road. The police considered the vehicles to be abandoned.

The Police Department at 9:54 a.m. received a report of black ice on Royal Street approximately three-quarters of a mile from Deer Valley Drive. The police were told the ice had caused two traffic accidents.

On Thursday, Nov. 16 at 8:15 p.m., the police received a report of a man, described as homeless, in a hallway on the second floor of a building on Bonanza Drive. The man was sleeping, the police were told.

An elevator rescue was reported on Stein Circle at 4:56 p.m. Public police logs did not provide details, including how many people were in the elevator and how long they were there.

On Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 12:24 a.m., someone in a car was playing what was described as “loud music” in a residential parking lot on Park Avenue.  The police logged the case as suspected disturbing the peace.

On Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 4:36 p.m. a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Little Kate Road. Public police logs did not provide details.

A driver apparently left a vehicle in another person’s driveway on Prospect Avenue at 7:53 a.m. The person who contacted the police “doesn’t know who it might be,” according to public police logs.

A deer carcass was seen on Round Valley Drive at 5:49 a.m. The carcass was blocking lanes, the police were told.

On Monday, Nov. 13 at 11:54 a.m. a bag of soil was seen in a travel lane of S.R. 224 in the area of the McPolin Farm. The police said the bag created a traffic hazard.

The post Erratic drivers cutting people off, swerving prompt complaints appeared first on Park Record.

The Park City Police Department recently pulled over several drivers after officers observed the vehicles committing turning violations.

The cases involved vehicles that made wide turns, a category of traffic offense not nearly as common in Park City as some other sorts of violations, such as speeding.

There was a cluster of cases on Saturday, Nov. 11, including reports at the busy intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive.

One of the cases was reported at 10:55 a.m. on Nov. 11 when an officer observed a vehicle make a right turn from Bonanza Drive to Kearns Boulevard. Public police logs indicated the vehicle turned into the incorrect eastbound lane as it moved onto Kearns Boulevard.

There were similar cases logged in the vicinity of the one at 10:55 a.m. at 11:08 a.m., 11:17 a.m. and 11:38 a.m.

A vehicle, meanwhile, was spotted making a similar sort of turn but to the left at the same intersection at 12:16 p.m. 

Public police logs did not provide details about whether the drivers received tickets or warnings. The Police Department typically issues warnings rather than tickets in many traffic cases unless the violations are determined to be egregious or the driver is a repeat offender.

The cases involving the turning violations were just some of the traffic stops reported by the Police Department during the seven-day period ending on Sunday. Officers pulled over drivers at a solid clip as the agency continued to press traffic-related issues.

During a stretch on Nov. 6, several drivers were pulled over in quick succession in the area of Hillside Avenue, Marsac Avenue and Daly Avenue for unspecified suspected offenses. Cases in that area sometimes involve drivers failing to stop at stop signs. 

The police also pulled over several drivers on Nov. 11 for suspected expired vehicle registrations. In one of the cases, at 1:51 p.m. at the Main Street-Heber Avenue intersection, a vehicle displayed a 2021 registration decal, the police said. The driver received a warning. In another case on Nov. 11, at 3:06 p.m., the incorrect decal was displayed, the police said, indicating the driver told the officer the vehicle was rented.

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In this week’s collection of portraits from For The Record, we asked people around town if they think Park City is getting too busy during the ski season and how they’re dealing with it. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

The post PHOTOS: For The Record | March 23, 2017 appeared first on Park Record.

People who live in Old Town days ahead of time anticipate the crush of vehicles that arrives in the neighborhood during the jammed opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival.

Main Street and the narrow nearby streets are typically overwhelmed by traffic on the first Thursday of the festival without much of a letup through the first Sunday. The traffic is bad through the rest of the 11-day event, but the opening days are especially difficult in the neighborhood.

Shortly after the festival ended in January, a member of the Park City Council broached the idea of introducing restrictions on traffic in Old Town during Sundance. Andy Beerman, who lives and works in the neighborhood, did not provide details during a recent City Council meeting, but there appeared to be interest by the other elected officials to hold a more detailed discussion later.

In his comments, Beerman mentioned the traffic restrictions that have long been part of the traffic, transportation and parking plan of the annual summertime Park City Kimball Arts Festival. The arts festival, which draws tens of thousands of people to Main Street, is one of the important weekends on Park City’s busy events calendar. Main Street is closed to traffic for the weekend of arts festival.

City Hall relies on an access-pass system during arts festival that greatly limits traffic in the southern reaches of Old Town. Someone must live in the neighborhood to be granted an access pass with consideration also given to businesses there to ensure operations are not disrupted by traffic restrictions. The access-pass system for Old Town residents, though, appears to be the most important aspect of the arts festival program as talks loom about Sundance.

Traffic during the arts festival in the parts of Old Town regulated by access passes usually flows well as compared to the backups seen during Sundance, including the recently wrapped edition. Drivers with access passes during the arts festival present them at one of the checkpoints and are allowed to drive into the neighborhood. Drivers without them are turned away.

The congestion in Old Town during Sundance can be nightmarish at some points as film lovers, celebrity gawkers and people who live in the neighborhood cram onto the narrow roads. The traffic stretches throughout the neighborhood. The route toward Main Street on Park Avenue, Deer Valley Drive and the tiny Hillside Avenue are regularly backed up while drivers comb other streets for places to park even though those spots are generally within City Hall’s resident-only zones. Drivers for transportation companies, meanwhile, were repeatedly seen parked at the trolley turnaround at the intersection of Main Street, Hillside Avenue and Daly Avenue during the festival in January.

Any upcoming discussions about introducing an access-pass system will almost certainly be closely watched by Old Town residents, businesses along Main Street, the transportation firms and Sundance itself. A system would appear to have implications on a broad range of vehicles entering Old Town, including taxis, shuttles, official Sundance cars, corporate shuttles and those bringing celebrity entourages to Main Street.

It would be one of the most noteworthy logistical changes to City Hall’s Sundance plans in years. It was unclear whether the elected officials will discuss an access-pass system that would cover the entire festival or only the opening days.

A timeline for the discussions was not set at the recent meeting. City Hall and Sundance organizers typically review the mechanics of the festival annually before making alterations to the overall plan. Sometimes the alterations are not finalized until late in the year, but introducing an access-pass system would likely be researched and discussed earlier than other changes typically are since the implications on the overall logistics would be broad.

It was the second consecutive year Beerman mentioned the possibility of an access-pass system during Sundance. He spoke about the topic shortly after Sundance in 2016 as well, but the possibility did not gain momentum.

The post Sundance traffic: Park City might not want extras on set appeared first on Park Record.

In this week’s collection of portraits from For The Record, we asked people at Park City Coffee Roaster if they had any ideas about how to improve Park City’s traffic problems. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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