Dodge vs. Ford; rear-end crash leaves 2 pickups locked up

ST. GEORGE – A rear-end crash late Tuesday morning left two trucks temporarily stuck together and two drivers with minor injuries.

A rear-end crash on Bluff Street Tuesday morning damaged two trucks and left the drivers with minor injuries, St. George, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
A rear-end crash on Bluff Street Tuesday morning damaged two trucks and left the drivers with minor injuries, St. George, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News

Emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 10:58 a.m. to a report of a crash just north of the intersection of 500 North Street and Bluff Street in St. George.

A vehicle was heading north in the right lane and began slowing down to turn into a Subway restaurant, St. George Police Officer Jamison Hale said.

The driver of a tan 1993 Dodge Ram diesel pickup truck traveling behind the first vehicle was able to stop in time.

However, the driver following the Dodge in a white 2000 Ford F-150 pickup, could not stop in time.

The force of the collision embedded the rear bumper of the Ram into the front of the Ford and left the two pickup trucks stuck together.

They were separated by a tow company, which winched the Ram up onto the tow truck until the trucks pulled apart, even though the front wheels of the tow truck came off the ground several inches.

A rear-end crash on Bluff Street Tuesday morning damaged two trucks and left the drivers with minor injuries, St. George, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
A rear-end crash on Bluff Street Tuesday morning damaged two trucks and left the drivers with minor injuries, St. George, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News

Then, the tow company addressed the Dodge’s dangling tow hitch which was bent nearly vertical in the incident. The hitch was straightened out by repeatedly lowering the rear end of the truck onto wooden blocks.

The maneuver was successful. Although the Dodge Ram sustained damaged in the crash, it was driven away from the scene. The Ford had to be towed.

Both drivers were middle-aged men; there were no passengers in either truck. The driver of the Ford complained of elbow pain, and the driver of the Dodge had neck pain. Both drivers refused medical transport, Hale said, but were planning to seek medical attention.

The chances of getting in a rear-end crash can be reduced by slowing down and not following too closely, Hale said.

“Give yourself plenty of distance between another vehicle,” he said.  “You never know when a car’s going to stop.”

Hale recommends drivers allow even more distance if they know they will be temporarily distracted – for example, by an impending sneeze or by looking down to change the radio station.

“They say two-second rule, but three or four seconds – the more distance you give yourself the more time you have to stop,” Hale said. “If a dog runs out in the street, a ball, or something like this … you happen to notice it at the last minute, you have time to stop.”

A citation was issued to the driver of the Ford for following too close, Hale said.


Read more: High schoolers pledge to #GetThereSafe, overcome No. 1 teen-killer


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

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

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

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

8 Comments

  • mmsandie October 25, 2016 at 8:31 pm

    That is why I don,t stop at any businesses on bluff at.. Wait til the extra lanes are put in and a lot of goose businesses awe bye bye.. There are plenty of other areas to put your business. Bluff st has always been dangerous and drivers pay no attention and follow too close

    • Bob October 26, 2016 at 11:43 am

      goose businesses? In all seriousness, are you even safe to be driving in the first place? I’m not even joking at all

      • .... October 26, 2016 at 11:34 pm

        No Bob You Are The Joke ! and I’m not even joking at all

  • mesaman October 25, 2016 at 9:07 pm

    Dodges are built Ford strong.

  • RealMcCoy October 26, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    CRIKEY!!
    LOOK AT THAT!
    This is a rare treat- the seldom seen mating rituals of the Ford and Dodge trucks…. Look at that BEAUUUUUTIFUL Ford! It’s mounted the dodge and REFUUUUSES to let it go! Let’s hope this doesn’t result in a bizarre hybrid truck developing.

    Modern dealers do not condone the fraternizing of these two models. The LDS church does not condemn the inter-vehicle coupling, but it also does not support it. An #EqualTruckLove march is scheduled in SLC later this week. Supporters of the #KeepFordPure and #DodgeIsDifferent ideologies are expected to protest.

  • .... October 26, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    Actually that happens all the time here because Dumbob and RealLowlife always follow each other around !

    • Real Life October 27, 2016 at 6:19 am

      Whoa, look out! Is this guy funny, or what?

      • .... October 28, 2016 at 8:14 am

        Awww you poor little thing did I hurt your feelings ! Well I’m just going 2 go back 2 doing absolutely nothing because I don’t have 2 work 4 a living.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.