Woman in rollover seriously injured, not wearing seat belt

WASHINGTON COUNTY – A woman was taken to the hospital in serious condition Thursday night following a vehicle rollover in the Red Cliff’s Desert Reserve.

A woman was transported to the hospital in serious condition following a rollover on the Turkey Farm Road in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The Washington County Sheriff's Office confirmed the woman was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the SUV as it rolled, Washington County, Utah, Aug. 25, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A woman was transported to the hospital in serious condition following a rollover on the Turkey Farm Road in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the woman was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the SUV as it rolled, Washington County, Utah, Aug. 25, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Around 9:30 p.m. Washington County Sheriff’s deputies and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene of a single vehicle rollover on what is commonly known as the Turkey Farm Road.

Upon their arrival, the deputies and others encountered a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee had rolled and landed on its wheels. The Jeep had come to rest on the side of the road facing a downward slope. A few more feet and it may have ended up at the bottom of the hillside.

“While traveling south on Turkey Farm Road, the driver failed to negotiate a bend in the road, colliding with an embankment on the west side of the roadway,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday. “The driver over-corrected causing the vehicle to roll.”

The driver, a 26-year-old woman from St. George, was not wearing her seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, resulting in serious injuries. She was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center via Gold Cross Ambulance.

A passenger, a 36-year-old man, was wearing his seat belt and sustained minor injuries. He remained on scene for a time as police investigated the crash.

A woman was transported to the hospital in serious condition following a rollover on the Turkey Farm Road in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The Washington County Sheriff's Office confirmed the woman was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the SUV as it rolled, Washington County, Utah, Aug. 25, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A woman was transported to the hospital in serious condition following a rollover on the Turkey Farm Road in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the woman was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the SUV as it rolled, Washington County, Utah, Aug. 25, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The driver was ultimately cited for driving under the influence, according to the statement from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The Turkey Farm Road starts in St. George as Cotton Wood Springs Road and heads northeast into the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. While paved at first, it eventually gives way to compacted gravel and dirt.

However, part of the road is covered in loose earth as well, which can cause a vehicle to slide if a driver is not careful and attentive.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

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