Driver airlifted to hospital after crashing into rear of another pickup truck on SR-56 in Cedar City

Written by Jeff Richards
July 26, 2023

CEDAR CITY — A driver was injured on Wednesday after his vehicle hit another pickup truck from behind on state Route 56 before leaving the roadway and crashing into some trees.

Law enforcement and fire officials survey the scene of a rear-end collision involving two pickup trucks on SR-56 near 3900 West, Cedar City, Utah, July 26, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The incident, which reportedly happened just before 10:30 a.m., involved two pickup trucks: a blue Dodge Ram 1500 and a silver Ford F-250.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Bambi Baie said that both trucks had been heading westbound in the far right lane of SR-56 at approximately 3900 West.

Each vehicle had an adult male driver as its only occupant, she said.

“The Dodge, for an unknown reason, just slammed into the back of the Ford,” Baie told Cedar City News. “That caused the Dodge to run off the roadway, where it landed along the railroad tracks, came off the tracks, went down an embankment and then hit a few trees and came to rest.”

The Dodge also broke several wooden beehive boxes that were nestled in the shade of the trees.  Thankfully, the hives were empty, Baie said.

“They didn’t have any bees in them,” she said. “Otherwise I think we all would have hated our life.”

The driver of the Dodge, who Baie described as a man in his late 60s, was extricated from the truck and transported via Intermountain Life Flight helicopter to St. George Regional Hospital for treatment.

Baie said she was unsure of the man’s condition but noted that he was somewhat responsive on scene before being airlifted.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, Baie said.

Scene of a rear-end collision involving two pickup trucks on SR-56 near 3900 West, Cedar City, Utah, July 26, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“We don’t believe impairment was involved,” she said. “We’re still looking into some other things to see what was going on.”

Meanwhile, the driver of the Ford, a man in his 40s, was not injured in the collision, Baie said.

Traffic along SR-56 was only minimally impacted since both vehicles were off the edge of the roadway. The helicopter landed in a farming field a short distance to the north from where the Dodge ended up.

In addition to multiple Utah Highway Patrol troopers, personnel from Cedar City Police Department, Cedar City Fire Department, Iron County Sheriff’s Office and Gold Cross Ambulance also responded.

Baie said railroad officials were also notified about the incident.

The Dodge sustained substantial damage and needed to be towed, while the Ford appeared to possibly still be drivable, despite the damage to its rear end.

This report is based on preliminary statements from 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

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 and one granddaughter. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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