Sharp-eyed police officers noticed something amiss while responding to a multi-vehicle accident and ultimately rescued two young girls.
A truck driver in Utah has been apprehended and is facing child abuse charges after a disturbing crash on Interstate 15 in Lindon.
Highway patrol officers came to assist after a tire dislodged, went airborne over a wall, and struck two vehicles, resulting in injuries.
A semi-truck then collided with a nearby car, which subsequently crashed into other vehicles where the original truck driver’s vehicle had stopped.
One highway patrol trooper reported seeing ‘two sets of eyes’ peering at him through the slats of the trailer.
The driver, 28-year-old Jacob Ortell Scott, appeared ‘surprised’ when the officer mentioned it to him, but then he confessed.
KGNS reports that the inspector who noticed the girls ‘took a photo of the rear of the truck and there was a slight gap in the door, and he happened to see a set of eyes looking at him as he took that photo,’ Lt. Clay Morgan, with the Utah Highway Patrol, explained.
“Then he knew we had more problems than just the accident,” he added.
Court documents reveal Scott admitted ‘there were kids in the trailer’.
Officers were taken aback but managed to open the trailer, finding two young girls trapped inside the refrigerated compartment.
According to KJZZ, Lt. Cameron Roden stated that the girls were Scott’s half-sisters.
The girls, aged 12 and 14, were confined inside with ‘no way for them to exit’, as noted in the affidavit.
They were found in the trailer with bedding, while the thermostat indicated a setting of nearly 30 degrees, posing a risk of hypothermia.
Authorities discovered the girls had been locked inside the trailer for approximately two hours, but confirmed that neither was injured during the ordeal.
Nonetheless, they were able to provide interviews to representatives from the Utah State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Child and Family Services.
Lt. Roden clarified that the girls were not being trafficked, but the situation was sufficient to warrant Scott’s arrest on suspicion of third-degree felony aggravated child abuse.
Judge Sean Petersen cited ‘substantial evidence’ indicating that Scott poses a ‘substantial danger’ to the public, resulting in him being held without bail.
Officials disclosed that the girls are homeschooled, and Scott claimed they needed to travel to Salt Lake City for a test and to assist a family member expecting twins.
Lt Roden further explained: “There were really only two spots for the individuals to be in the tractor, and so the others were in the trailer.”
“The 12- and 14-year-old, they were scared,” Lt. Morgan continued: “They were scared that they were in trouble. They were scared that their brother was in trouble. They were scared that somebody was hurt, but after a while they calmed down.”
Lt. Morgan shared with Fox 13 Salt Lake City: “I mean, it’s kind of common sense that we shouldn’t be riding in the back of any type of trailer, but one that’s enclosed that you certainly can’t get out of, we would just ask, just use common sense, try and find a better way to get people where you’re going.”