Driver slams into tree on Dixie Drive in St. George, cited for improper lane travel

Written by Nick Yamashita
July 15, 2023

ST. GEORGE — A vehicle unexpectedly went out of its lane, hitting a landscaping median, bowling over a boulder and continuing about 50 feet before slamming into a tree near Dixie Drive on Saturday morning.

A vehicle slammed into a tree within the median on Dixie Drive after improper lane travel, St. George, Utah, July 15, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

St. George Police Department Officer Bryan Hendrix said the woman was traveling southbound on Dixie Drive, in the inner lane next to the median, when she traveled out of the lane hitting the median’s curb.

He said the left side wheels traveled up into the median striking a boulder. The vehicle continued to travel approximately fifty feet down the median when the right side wheels went up over the curb into the median striking a tree head-on.

The front of the car appeared similar to a crushed can and the driver’s door would not close. He said the collision happened a little before 10 a.m.

“Per the witnesses and driver’s statement, she just drifted over into the median area where she hit a boulder, knocking it about 15 feet or so, then tried to correct but rode along the median until she hit that tree,” Hendrix said.

The woman told officers she was on a Bluetooth call with her daughter when the incident occurred just south of the turnoff for Gap Canyon Parkway at about 1700 S. Dixie Drive. Hendrix said it is okay to be on Bluetooth for cell calls while driving as long as not physically holding and/or looking at the cell device.

The woman was examined on scene by Gold Cross Ambulance emergency medical technicians and released into family care. She had no injuries except a minor abrasion from the airbag deploying.

Hendrix said the driver was wearing her seatbelt it appeared that speed was not a factor.

A boulder that was replaced in the median after being knocked into the road, St. George, Utah, July 15, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

Traffic was interrupted temporarily but both outer lanes on both northbound and southbound lanes of the street were reopened once responders arrived on scene.

The boulder was removed from the northbound lanes and placed back into the median by firefighters on the scene.

The vehicle was towed away by Glen’s Mobile Repair at 10:50 a.m. All lanes were reopened for traffic subsequently.

St. George Police Department had two units respond, St. George Fire Department had two trucks assisting on scene.

This report is based on preliminary statements from fire or law enforcement officials 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

Nick Yamashita has extensive experience reporting for small town media, covering a variety of subjects and events for The Virgin River Times and The Progress in Southern Nevada. Before a career in journalism, he worked a variety of jobs in criminal justice systems. Yamashita holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Southern Utah University. He is an award-winning photographer and writer. He has been published in scholarly articles and poetry compilations. In his spare time, he practices and teaches martial arts.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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