Jeannette Rigby, who was killed in a single-vehicle crash west of Smithfield, Nov. 16, 2023. (Photo: Facebook)
LOGAN — The identity of the 54-year-old woman killed in Thursday’s crash west of Smithfield has been released. Jeannette Rigby died after the car she was driving, drifted off the road, hit a power pole and rolled into a canal.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cade Brenchley said Rigby was driving a green Toyota RAV 4 eastbound near 3000 West SR-218, when she went off the roadway. The impact spun the car around, before landing upside down in a nearby canal.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
A man, who was working nearby, was the only witness of the accident and immediately called 9-1-1 around 2:30 p.m.
Brenchley said there was several feet of water in the canal. The car was found partially submerged when paramedics from the Smithfield City Fire Department arrived on scene.
A Rocky Mountain Power truck was able to move the electrical lines to give emergency crews some space to be able to get to Rigby.
Paramedics extricated her from the car and attempted life-saving measures but she was later pronounced dead.
Rigby was the only occupant in the vehicle. Family members told troopers that she was driving to Summit Elementary, where she worked as an after-school program assistant.
Troopers do not believe impairment was a factor but are trying to determine if Rigby was distracted. It is also possible she suffered a medical episode just before the crash.
Brenchley said it appears to be a tragic accident and his heart goes out to Rigby’s family and friends who are grieving her loss.
Funeral services have not been announced yet.