St. George police say crash near Dixie and Sunset another case of following too close

Written by Chris Reed
January 5, 2024

ST. GEORGE — In another case of what officers said was a vehicle following too close, a rear-end collision of white Fords — a pick-up into a sports utility vehicle — slowed traffic on Sunset Boulevard just before the corner of Dixie Drive Friday afternoon.

Police look at front of F-150 pickup behind it after police say it rear-ended an SUV on Sunset Boulevard, St. George, Utah, Jan. 5, 2023 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

The crash, which occurred shortly after 3 p.m., backed up traffic on Sunset for about 30 minutes before being cleared of the vehicles.

St. George Police Officer Randall Burtis said a Ford F-150 going west on Sunset, with one male driver as the only passenger, collided into the back of a Ford Expedition driven by a woman traveling with one teenage passenger.

There were no injuries reported in the SUV, while the driver of the pickup had a bruise on his forehead. He was checked by a Gold Cross Ambulance and released.

Burtis said the pickup driver was cited for following too close. The officer said it is another case of a local driver being in too much of a hurry, especially at a busy intersection that commonly sees crashes.

“It’s a problem here in town,” Burtis said. “People need to create that safe distance and make sure they can stop in time for the hazards ahead of them.”

The pickup, which had to be towed, had its driver-side airbag deployed with its front end smashed and debris scattered on the road. The Expedition had a smashed rear-side, but was able to be driven to a nearby convenience store.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Reed serves as a reporter for St. George News, where he has been honored with several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work, including first-place accolades. He started his journalism career as a sports reporter and editor in Southern California where he once compared shoe sizes with Shaquille O'Neal and exchanged mix tapes with members of the Los Angeles Kings. After growing up in the San Fernando Valley learning karate skills from Mr. Miyagi and spending a decade in Las Vegas mostly avoiding the casinos, he came to St. George for love and married his soulmate, a lifetime Southern Utah resident. He is the proud father of two boys, his youngest a champion against both autism and Type 1 diabetes.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

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