Driver killed in rollover crash on SR-18 near Central

Written by Cody Blowers
November 27, 2023

ST. GEORGE — A Washington City man was killed in a rollover crash reported on state Route 18 just south of Enterprise early Monday morning.

A Dodge pickup truck is destroyed in a rollover crash that left the driver dead on state Route 18 near Central in Washington County, Utah, Nov. 27, 2023 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

 Officers and emergency personnel responded to a single-vehicle rollover on SR-18 near mile marker 28 shortly after 5:20 a.m. Monday to find a pick-up truck and a trailer several yards from the roadway. 

The driver, who was in his 40s, appeared to have been thrown from the pickup during the rollover and was found deceased at the scene. 

Washington County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lucas Alfred told St. George News a passerby noticed the heavily damaged pickup truck well off the roadway and called 911. The motorist told emergency dispatch the truck was difficult to see since it was so far from the roadway.

The caller could not remain at the scene and placed a gasoline can near the roadway to alert responders to the truck’s location.  

When emergency personnel arrived, Alfred said, they initially found the heavily damaged pickup that appeared to be abandoned, until emergency medical personnel located the driver “quite a ways from the vehicle.” 

Map shows approximate site of crash on state Route 18 near Central, Nov. 27, 2023 | Image courtesy of UDOT, St. George News

Officers have yet to determine when the rollover took place since it was likely other motorists drove past the scene without noticing where the truck had come to rest. 

Preliminary findings indicate that at the time of the crash, the pickup was pulling a trailer and heading south on SR-18 toward St. George when the driver took a curve too fast, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. It reportedly continued off the shoulder and rolled, throwing the unrestrained driver from the truck in the process, police said.

The incident is being investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, while the Utah Highway Patrol sent an accident reconstruction team out to assist — which is standard anytime a fatality is involved. 

Alfred said that investigators determined that speed was a main contributor to the crash. He also said that family notifications have been made and the investigation is ongoing so no further details could be released at this time. 

This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. 

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cody Blowers was raised in South San Francisco, California. A 2013 graduate of Colorado Technical University, Cody earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in paralegal studies. Through the course of her academic studies she discovered that writing is her true passion, and she is committed to providing credible, integrated news coverage. Cody joined St. George News in 2015, and when she’s not busy chasing the news, she can generally be found chasing her young granddaughter, Kali.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews

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