CEDAR CITY — Emergency responders rescued a woman from a wrecked vehicle near Cedar Breaks National Monument on Sunday.
The incident involved a woman in her mid-40s who was found inside a silver Volkswagen Beetle convertible on a tree-covered hillside just west of the Webster Flat road, which turns southwest off state Route 14 near the top of Cedar Canyon.
A witness at the scene told Cedar City News he passed by the area earlier on Sunday morning when it was still dark and noticed the glow of taillights but didn’t think anything of it, as off-road vehicles are frequently seen in the area.
Some time later, during midmorning hours, the man said he passed by the area again and noticed that the lights he’d seen earlier belonged to a passenger car. After going down to check things out and seeing a person stirring in the backseat, he said that he and another passerby went to where they could get cell phone service and called 911.
Shortly after 11 a.m., firefighters and other responders arrived on scene and were able to get the woman out of the car and carry her on a stretcher to a waiting Gold Cross Ambulance. She was treated inside the ambulance by paramedics while a Classic Air Medical helicopter was called in.
Then, just before noon, the helicopter landed on the road and the patient was transferred aboard. She was taken to St. George Regional Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Humphries said that while the woman showed signs of impairment, “It’s not clear if she was impaired prior to the accident.”
Humphries then explained that the woman was found sitting in the back seat with two bottles of prescription pain pills, and that alcohol was also present.
Humphries said investigators believe the woman may have been suicidal, but added that it remains unclear if she ingested any alcohol or drugs prior to the crash.
“We could not get her to talk very clearly,” he said, adding that the sheriff’s office had not received any updates on the woman’s condition as of 5 p.m. Sunday.
Firefighters and other personnel from Cedar City Fire Department also responded to the incident.
This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Photo Gallery
Firefighters and other rescuers transport an injured driver from the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Emergency responders at the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A Volkswagen passenger car came to rest in the trees after crashing near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A Volkswagen passenger car came to rest in the trees after crashing near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A Volkswagen passenger car came to rest in the trees after crashing near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Emergency responders at the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Emergency responders at the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A Classic Air Medical helicopter arrives at the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A Classic Air Medical helicopter arrives at the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A patient is loaded into a Classic Air Medical helicopter at the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A patient is loaded into a Classic Air Medical helicopter at the scene of a single-vehicle crash near Webster Flat, Iron County, Utah, Sept. 11, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.