ST. GEORGE — Occupants involved in a crash, including three teenagers, escaped serious injury Thursday morning after a vehicle headed in the wrong direction on Interstate 15 collided with a car.
Shortly after 3 a.m. on Thursday, emergency personnel were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on I-15 near the Port of Entry in St. George involving a red Dodge Avenger and a silver Lexus carrying three teenage occupants.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Andrew Battenfield told St. George News the driver of the Dodge was heading south in the northbound lane of I-15 when they side-swiped the Lexus. The impact spun the Dodge into the median, where it came to rest. The Lexus was found near the shoulder of the interstate.
The Dodge sustained extensive frontal damage in the collision, while the driver’s side of the Lexus took the brunt of the impact and was left heavily damaged. Both vehicles were later towed from the roadway.
The cause of the crash was attributed to confusion that caused the older driver of the Dodge to enter the interstate in the wrong direction, Battenfield said, adding that no serious injuries were reported.
The northbound side of I-15 was temporarily shut down and traffic was diverted at the Port of Entry while the scene was cleared.
In addition to UHP, the St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department and the Utah Department of Transportation’s incident management unit responded to the scene.
Averting wrong-way crashes
In 2023, 18 wrong-way crashes resulted in six deaths in Utah. This number of wrong-way crashes was more than twice as many compared to 2022, in which eight wrong-way crashes were reported statewide, according to UDOT.
Wrong-way crashes are especially dangerous because they are typically head-on and at highway speeds.
To help prevent these particularly deadly crashes, UDOT began installing 15 wrong-way driving detection systems across the state in February 2023; eight more are being installed this year. This detection system is one of the most advanced warning systems in the country. The detector unit utilizes radar, high definition-infrared cameras and a series of red “Wrong Way” warning signs equipped with solar-powered, high-intensity LED lights.
When a wrong-way driver is detected, the LED signs activate to alert the driver. If the driver continues going the wrong way, the system sends automated alerts to the UDOT Traffic Operations Center and UHP to stop the vehicle as quickly as possible.
Since the detection systems began being installed, the Utah Transportation Commission approved $2.5 million in funding to install these advanced detection systems at 22 additional locations across the state.
This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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