4 injured after small plane lands on I-15 in Payson

PAYSON — Four people were injured and northbound I-15 has reopened in Payson after a small plane made an emergency landing Monday evening, causing a chain-reaction crash involving cars on the highway.

Four people in the cars involved in the crash were taken to hospitals with moderate to serious injuries, the Utah Highway Patrol said. One person was in “extremely critical” condition, one person was in critical condition, one person had injuries described as moderate to severe and one person suffered minor injuries.

After the plane made an emergency landing on I-15 around 8:11 p.m., a car hit the plane and at least four other cars also crashed, the UHP reported.

No one on the plane was injured.

UHP Sgt. Jeremy Matthews said the aircraft landed successfully after “some engine failure” but was in a dimly lit area and the aircraft itself was not very well lit. The five oncoming vehicles collided with the aircraft and each other, he said.

The crash was still under investigation late Monday and police were working with the company that owns the plane to figure out how to get it to a safe location, Matthews said.

The highway was closed for hours in the area of ​​800 South.

Traffic was rerouted through Payson and re-entered the highway from Payson Main Street or State Route 164. Northbound traffic exited Santaquin Main Street (Exit 244) and continued along State Route 198 through Spring Lake and Payson, the Utah Highway Patrol said.

Photos shared from the scene show the plane landed parallel to the highway median without any visible damage.

Contribute:Andrew Adams