CEDAR CITY — A driver suffered serious injuries after his car went into the opposite lane and collided head-on with another vehicle in Cedar Canyon Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The incident, which was reported shortly before 5 p.m., occurred on state Route 14 near mile marker 15.
Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Bairett said two vehicles were involved, a white Ford F-250 pickup truck and a red Chevrolet Cruze. Each vehicle had a male driver as its sole occupant.
Bairett said the driver of the Ford F-250 was heading east, up the canyon, around a left curve when the other driver, who was heading in the opposite direction, “kind of straightened the corner out and came over into the eastbound lane where the white Ford hit the red Chevy Cruze head-on.”
The force of the impact stopped both vehicles instantly, Bairett said. The Ford remained in the right or east lane, while the Cruze ended up on the same side, or the eastern shoulder, of the road.
The driver of the Cruze reportedly sustained severe head injuries and several broken bones, and was transported via Life Flight air ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Ford sustained only a minor cut on his face.
“Other than that, he’s fine, he says,” Bairett said.
Bairett said the reason why the Cruze driver may have drifted out of his lane is still under investigation, but added the sun’s glare may have been a factor.
“At this point in time, there’s no alcohol or anything involved that we can see. I’ve been asking if anybody smelled anything and there’s nothing in the cars that would imply that that was the case,” he said. “The sun, as you come around the corner here, the sun was definitely right in the driver’s face, but he just, for some reason, drifted out of his lane into the eastbound lane and took a truck head-on.”
Both vehicles sustained heavy front-end damage and had to be towed from the scene. Traffic in the area was slowed for at least an hour as workers closed the east side of the roadway until the scene could be cleared.
In addition to UHP troopers, Iron County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Gold Cross Ambulance personnel also responded to the scene, as did multiple units from the Cedar City Fire Department. The driver of the Ford pickup was dressed in firefighter gear.
This report is based on statements from police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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Scene of a head-on collision involving a red Chevrolet Cruze and a white Ford F-250 pickup in Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Scene of a head-on collision involving a red Chevrolet Cruze and a white Ford F-250 pickup in Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Scene of a head-on collision involving a red Chevrolet Cruze and a white Ford F-250 pickup in Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Scene of a head-on collision involving a red Chevrolet Cruze and a white Ford F-250 pickup in Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Scene of a head-on collision involving a red Chevrolet Cruze and a white Ford F-250 pickup in Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Scene of a head-on collision involving a red Chevrolet Cruze and a white Ford F-250 pickup in Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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Well this is one reason why I like driving bigger vehicles. The bigger one usually wins. Also just so you’re all aware that is either an F250 or an F350 not the F150 as reported.
You are correct, it was a Ford F-250.
You are correct, it was a Ford F-250. Article has been updated with the correct model number of the truck. Thanks for reading!
Yep. Little plastic car 0, Big Steel Truck 1