LYNDON, UT – Utah Highway Patrol officers investigating a crash on I-15 near Lyndon uncovered a startling situation Wednesday. A semi-truck, unable to halt in time, collided with a minivan. The truck’s commercial nature prompted a routine inspection, but what the inspector discovered was anything but routine.
During the inspection, a slight gap in the truck’s rear door caught the inspector’s attention. As he snapped a photo, he noticed a pair of eyes peering back at him through the gap, signaling a more significant issue beyond the accident itself.
Lieutenant Clay Morgan reported that the driver, 28-year-old Jacob Ortell Scott, confessed to transporting his two younger half-sisters in the truck’s refrigerated trailer. The girls, aged 14 and 12, were homeschooled and needed to travel to Salt Lake City for a test and to assist a family member expecting twins.
The probable cause statement revealed the sisters had been in the trailer, chilled to 30 degrees, since departing from Huntington, Utah, approximately a two-hour drive from Lyndon. The trailer’s door was latched in such a way that it prevented the girls from freeing themselves.
Authorities arrested Scott on suspicion of aggravated child abuse. The investigation into the incident continues in Salt Lake City.
The chilling discovery highlights the importance of thorough inspections and the vigilance required to uncover hidden dangers on the road.