Two young sisters discovered in the back of a refrigerated trailer following a five-vehicle crash on Interstate 15 in Lindon, Utah, say they have been transported that way before.

The shocking incident unfolded last week when a semi-truck driven by 28-year-old Jacob Ortell Scott lost a tire, triggering a multi-vehicle crash. During the investigation, a trooper noticed “two sets of eyes” in the trailer and questioned Scott, who initially denied anyone was inside. He later admitted that his two half-sisters—ages 12 and 14—were locked in the compartment.

According to KSL, the girls told officers they had been in the refrigerated unit for more than three hours, having left their family’s milk farm in Huntington en route to Salt Lake City for a school test. The refrigerated trailer's temperature was reportedly close to freezing.

When asked why they were in the trailer, the girls explained that there weren’t enough seats in the truck’s cab and confirmed they had been transported in the same manner on previous occasions.

Scott has been charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony. Prosecutors argue the extended confinement in freezing temperatures posed a serious risk to the girls’ health and safety, regardless of familial relation.

The case has prompted renewed concerns about child welfare, transportation laws, and the responsibility of adults to protect minors, especially during long-haul travel.

Old News | A week ago