LINDON, Utah (KUTV) — Two young girls, ages 12 and 14, were discovered inside a refrigerated trailer of a truck following a multi-vehicle crash on northbound I-15 on Wednesday.
Jacob Ortell Scott, 28, was arrested on suspicion of third-degree felony aggravated child abuse after the crash, which was triggered when his tractor-trailer lost a tire, subsequently striking two vehicles and causing minor injuries.
According to Lt. Cameron Roden with the Utah Highway Patrol, the children, siblings, were not being trafficked. Upon investigation, a trooper noticed “two sets of eyes” in the trailer and asked Scott about it. Initially surprised, Scott confirmed there were children inside.
The girls had reportedly been in the trailer since departing Huntington, Utah, en route to Salt Lake City, nearly two hours away. The trailer's thermostat was set to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, with a recorded temperature of 29.5 degrees.
The Utah State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Child and Family Services responded, confirming the situation. Scott was booked at the Utah County Jail.
No fatalities occurred, and the investigation into the crash is ongoing.