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A 23-year-old man was in "extremely critical" condition after an early morning crash on Interstate 215 Thursday.

The crash happened just before 3:30 a.m. on I-215 near 1400 East, according to Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce.

A flatbed truck carrying empty 55-gallon barrels was traveling east at or just below the posted speed limit when a sedan rear-ended the truck "at a high rate of speed," according to Royce.

After the truck was rear-ended, both vehicles ended up in the right shoulder of the highway. The truck struck a sound wall.

The driver of the sedan, a 23-year-old man, was extricated from his vehicle and taken by medical helicopter to a local hospital, Royce said.

The crash backed up traffic on I-215 for several hours Thursday morning as crews cleaned up the wreck and police investigated, but Royce said the road had been cleared as of 7 a.m.

Investigators believe speed was a contributing factor in the crash, Royce said, but they had not yet ruled out whether drugs or alcohol may have been a factor.

Twitter: @jm_miller