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Sagging cable that led to Utah trooper’s death should’ve been fixed by power company, according to lawsuit filed by widow

The widow of a former Utah Highway Patrol trooper is suing Rocky Mountain Power and a teenage girl for the fatal car crash that killed her husband.

UHP Trooper Eric Ellsworth was helping with the cleanup of an electrical cable that was sagging over State Route 13 when a car driven by a teenager struck him. Ellsworth died from his injuries four days later.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in 3rd District Court on Friday, the teenager — who is not named in the lawsuit because she is a minor — and “Rocky Mountain Power, by acts or omissions, caused serious injuries to Eric Dale Ellsworth and ultimately his death.