ST. GEORGE — A two-vehicle crash on South Bluff Street Friday afternoon triggered a secondary collision that injured one driver and occurred just as all cars approaching the first accident scene came to a stop, except for one.
At 1:15 p.m. officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on South Bluff Street involving a white Dodge Durango and a white Nissan Altima.
Officers found the Dodge near the median while the Nissan was off the right shoulder of the roadway, and both drivers reporting they were uninjured, St. George Police Officer Chad Lee said.
Immediately after the crash, the driver of the Dodge ran to check on the man driving the Nissan, while a bystander moved the Dodge out of the roadway as southbound traffic became increasingly congested.
According to witness statements made at the scene, officers learned that the Dodge was pulling out of the parking lot near Ricardo’s Restaurant and struck the Nissan heading south, which spun both vehicles around, with the Dodge coming to rest in the median while the Nissan came to rest smashed into the curb to the right of the roadway facing east.
Both drivers were wearing their seat belts during the crash, he said, and the woman driving the Dodge was later cited for failing to yield when entering the roadway.
Moments after the crash, a white Chevrolet Equinox, heading south behind several other vehicles, was struck from behind by a blue Hyundai as the line of cars approaching the first crash came to a stop.
The driver of the Hyundai wasn’t able to stop in time to avoid the crash, St. George Police Officer Ken Childs said.
Childs went on to say that “two cars were able to stop, third car was able to stop, but the fourth car was unable to stop in time,” he said.
It was initially reported that the Hyundai driver was possibly trapped due to extensive damage to the driver’s side door that prevented it from opening, however, the injured driver was able to exit the vehicle and was then transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center by family members.
All vehicle occupants were properly restrained at the time of the crash, and the driver of the Hyundai was later issued a citation for following too close, Childs said.
Three of the vehicles were towed from the roadway, while the Chevrolet was driven from the scene.
This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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Blue Hyundai sustains frontal damage during secondary crash on South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 19, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Blue Hyundai sustains frontal damage during secondary crash on South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 19, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Responders tend to two crashes occurring seconds apart on South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 19, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News White Dodge Durango's front end is damaged during first two-vehicle crash on South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 19, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Responders tend to two crashes occurring seconds apart on South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 19, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
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Driving in St. George is better than any video game. It’s the ultimate test of human reflexes, peripheral vision, and driving acumen. Some people think the police handing out more tickets would help, but that’s a joke. More tickets will not prevent the kind of accidents that happen around here. The only defense against some imbecile pulling out into fast-moving traffic without a care in the world is a lightning-fast response time. I enjoy the challenge. Two years here and none of you have been able to T-bone me yet.
oh brother, ur just a one man circus aint ya? cat-like reflexes i’m sure…. pfffffffff
people drive like maniacs around here bc they know the chances of getting a ticket are about nil