Joel Baker Killed in Cement Truck Accident on North Redwood Road in Lehi, UT
UPDATE (December 27, 2022): In recent statements, it appears police arrested the cement truck driver involved in the fatal crash which killed one person, now identified as 33-year-old Joel Baker.
It was said that Joel Baker was in a vehicle traveling through the Mountainview and Redwood intersection when a cement truck went through a red light, hitting and killing Baker.
Authorities say they arrested the driver, whom they identified as 26-year-old Jonas Hyrum Faamausili. News sources quoting a police affidavit allege that Faamausili "deliberately ran through two red lights," did not "try to brake for either red light," and may have had inoperative brakes at the time.
Currently, reports show that charges includ manslaughter, reckless driving, and failing to have operative brakes. Investigations into these allegations are ongoing.
Lehi, UT -- November 12, 2022, one person was killed following an accident where a cement truck crashed with a car on North Redwood Road.
Investigators said that the crash took place at around 6:00 a.m. along Redwood Road at Mountain View/2100 N.
Officials said that a car was eastbound on Mountain View. At Redwood Road, police say that a cement truck may have run a red light, crashing into the car.
Due to the collision, the driver of the car sustained fatal injuries. Right now, additional details are unavailable.
Commentary on Joel Baker Cement Truck Accident in Lehi
If these recent details said that a truck driver lost control due to faulty or even poorly maintained brakes, that would be upsetting enough. But authorities here go so far as to accuse the truck driver of being behind the wheel of a 40 ton truck with worn brakes and "intentionally" disregarding red lights. What in the hell would possess someone to behave so recklessly? If these allegations prove to be true, I can't imagine what legal ramifications would be too severe for such horrible mistakes.
Beyond that, though, are authorities being proactive and looking into other possible contributing factors? There can certainly be rogue, reckless truckers out there who give the profession a bad name. But many times, a reckless trucker can be a sign that their employer fosters a dangerous environment, meaning others could still be in danger.
For example, authorities here claim this driver has inoperative brakes. Was this due to a company routinely skipping maintenance work to save money and time? It's tragically common amongst some less reputable companies that care more about their bottom line than the safety of those around them.
Furthermore, if a driver's solution to that problem is simply to refuse to stop, what is their history? What is their training? Has something like this happened before? Are there other drivers engaging in similar behavior?
At the end of the day, when families come to me after a tragic truck accident, a major priority is seeing accountability for their suffering. Police believe they have at least one person on that path. Are steps being taken to ensure there aren't accomplices to taking a man from his loved ones?
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