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9-year-old driver crashes into semi, police say

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Authorities are investigating after a 9-year-old girl crashed a vehicle into a semitruck Wednesday morning in Utah, according to multiple reports.

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The incident happened just after 5 a.m. near the intersection of 3200 West and South Frontage Road, according to KSTU-TV and the Utah Department of Transportation. A semitruck driver called authorities after he noticed a car driving erratically and sideswiping another vehicle, KSL-TV reported.

Lt. Bill Merritt told the news station that the semitruck driver initially thought he was watching an impaired driver when the vehicle took off.

“He followed that car and then that driver ended up pulling into him as well,” Merritt said, according to KSL. “Both of their vehicles were disabled, and he discovered that the driver of the other vehicle was not impaired but was a 9-year-old female driving her 4-year-old sister.”

Both the girls were wearing seat belts, according to KUTV.

“Had they not been wearing seat belts, it would have been pretty bad because both vehicles were pretty (crunched),” Merritt told KSL.

No injuries were reported.

Police told KUTV the girls said they were planning to drive to California because they wanted to go on a vacation.

“(They) wanted to enjoy the beach for a few days,” Lt. Sean McCarthy told KSTU. “I don’t know that we’ll tell them they were going the wrong way.”

The girls were later reunited with their parents, who live in nearby West Jordan, KSL reported.