ST. GEORGE — A mother driving with her young child on Dixie Drive experienced a medical episode Tuesday morning and ran her Dodge Durango up into the median, flattening all four tires.
The vehicle was traveling south on Dixie Drive at the time of the incident, St. George Police Sgt. Tyrell Bangerter said.
“Had a witness call in that they were actually driving in oncoming traffic at one point,” he said.
The Durango drifted over and hit the median, continuing about 100 yards or so until it finally came to a stop, crashing into rocks and landscaping.
“Once we were on scene we were able to determine that the female driver was experiencing a medical episode,” Bangerter said. “Medical came to the scene and treated her. There was a juvenile in the vehicle with her, but no injuries were sustained by anybody.”
Airbags were not deployed, and the child was in an approved safety seat.
The vehicle sustained some major front-end and undercarriage damage, as well as all four tires being flattened by the impacts with the median. It was towed from the scene.
Units from the St. George Police and Fire departments, as well as Gold Cross Ambulance, responded to the scene.
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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The difference between medical episode and drunk driver when they kill u in a head-on: medical episode driver gets away with it. but you’re still just as dead
The only follow-up for me would be to understand if the lady was driving after taking a prescription drug, that had a warning about drowsiness, and operating “machinery”.
We certainly do seem to have a whole lot of “medical episodes” here in Dixie that cause crashes. So, my question is, when people have these “medical episodes,” does the driver’s license bureau insist on them getting a physical and medical clearance before getting behind the wheel again?
I think if you have a “medical episode,” and crash, it should be instantaneous suspension of your driver’s license, until you get a medical clearance. And perhaps make that medical clearance be required on a yearly basis for the rest of the driver’s life.
We’d be seeing a lot less “medical episodes” excuses, and a lot more “distracted driving” charges.