ST. GEORGE — Despite appearances, a woman was able to walk away after her vehicle rolled over and crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle on Diagonal Street on Wednesday morning.
The crash occurred shortly before 8 a.m. near the corner of Diagonal Street and 400 North Street.
It happened right next to a site where construction is underway where multiple homes burned down in a major fire in May 2021. The parked vehicle that was hit was a utility pickup belonging to a plumber who arrived on site.
Police said the driver of the white Volkswagen Tiguan sports utility vehicle was headed southeast on Diagonal Street when she lost control, hitting an unoccupied white Nissan Titan.
Despite temperatures in the low 20s, ice on the road was not a factor. And a bright sun beaming directly in the eyes of drivers going south on Diagonal Street rose after the crash.
But St. George Police Officer David Blackman said a frosty front windshield did play a role, as did the driver trying to pick up a dropped item while driving.
“She was traveling eastbound and the defroster was on and something fell on the floorboard passenger side, so she reached down to pick it up and then she veered over to the right lane,” Blackman said. “This truck was unoccupied at the time, parked in the street and she hit it, and then she just rolled over.”
The SUV was upside down with all airbags deployed and surrounded by debris. But even while inverted, Blackman said the driver managed to crawl her way out.
“It’s good to be young, luckily,” he said.
After initially not being cited, St. George Police officer Tiffany Mitchell said she has since received a ticket for improper lane travel.
The woman was not transported by ambulance but reportedly was going to the hospital for a cautionary checkout.
Shortly before the site was cleared at 8:45 a.m., a contractor arrived and expressed concern for the plumber, whose truck showed heavy damage to its rear, a flattened rear passenger tire and was leaning to the side. But the plumber happily exclaimed that not only was he OK, but he had another work vehicle and would walk away himself from the crash with no scars.
This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Update 1 p.m., Jan. 15: Driver cited.
Photo Gallery
Scene of rollover crash into parked car on Diagonal Street as St. George firefighters help with clean-up, St. George, Utah, Jan. 10, 2024 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News Scene of rollover crash into parked car on Diagonal Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 10, 2024 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News Scene of rollover crash into parked car on Diagonal Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 10, 2024 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News St. George firefighters help with clean-up after rollover crash into parked car on Diagonal Street as , St. George, Utah, Jan. 10, 2024 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News Scene of rollover crash into parked car on Diagonal Street, St. George, Utah, Jan. 10, 2024 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.