ST. GEORGE — An incident near Hurricane involving a semi-tractor and trailer was the fourth to take place in Washington County on Tuesday.
Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Hintze told St. George News he transported one man to the hospital in St. George after a crash occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. near milepost 15.
A 62-year-old man “visiting the area” in a Kia Soul was entering southbound Interstate 15 when the incident occurred, Hintze said. A man in his 30s driving a Freightliner semi with one trailer attached was traveling south in the middle of the three lanes on I-15 just beyond the Exit 16 onramp.
“The man in the Kia entered the freeway in the far right lane, then changed into the middle lane abruptly,” Hintze said. “The driver of the semi had dash cam footage which he provided at the scene. It shows the Kia crashing into the passenger side of the truck.”
The man operating the Kia was cited for improper lane change, Hintze added. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured. At first, the man driving the Kia refused medical attention as well.
“Initially, he denied medical treatment,” Hintze said. “But I felt something was a little off and I ruled out DUI. He agreed to let me drive him to the hospital to be checked for possible head injuries. Nothing serious, probably just a mild concussion.”
About an hour before that incident, emergency crews were at the scene of a tractor tire blowout. Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden said a crash at 5:07 p.m. occurred due to a semi-tractor and trailer blowing a tire, causing the driver to veer into the median near Leeds.
Southbound traffic on I-15 was limited to one lane of travel for about an hour in that incident. When asked about the back-to-back incidents, Hintze said it was a four-peat.
“I was just telling the patient that I transported that it was the fourth one involving a semi-tractor and trailer or a box truck today,” he said. “It has been a busy day.”
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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