CEDAR CITY — A driver who police say tried to pass two other vehicles simultaneously while heading up Cedar Canyon on Friday afternoon ended up losing control and crashing through a wooden fence.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on state Route 14, a short distance west of Wood Ranch, and involved four vehicles: a silver Dodge Ram pickup truck, white Ford F-250 pickup, red Dodge Caravan and bluish gray Chevrolet Tahoe.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Clay Allred said the driver of the red Caravan was heading east up the canyon when the two pickup trucks approached from behind.
Allred told Cedar City News that as the Ford driver was attempting to pass the Caravan using the passing lane, the driver of the Dodge Ram went into the oncoming westbound lane in an attempt to pass both vehicles.
Meanwhile, the approaching Tahoe was heading down the canyon in the opposite direction.
“The silver Dodge sideswiped the white Ford, hit mirrors with the westbound Tahoe and then tried to correct to the right,” Allred said.
After making contact with the Dodge Caravan as it moved sharply back to the right, the Dodge Ram then veered off the road and crashed through a wooden log fence and into some trees.
No injuries were reported, Allred said. A small dog that had been riding in the Dodge Ram pickup also appeared to be unharmed.
The Dodge Ram sustained significant damage; however, its driver was able to back it out onto the shoulder of the road with the help of two other men, one of whom was a nearby property owner who had a chainsaw. Arrangements were made at the scene for that truck to be towed.
Meanwhile, the other three vehicles sustained only minor damage and were drivable. The Tahoe lost its driver side mirror but had virtually no other damage. The Tahoe’s driver said at the scene that she had moved as far to the right as she could to avoid a head-on collision with the oncoming truck.
In addition, both the Ford pickup and the Dodge Caravan sustained minor sideswipe body damage.
No citations were issued, Utah Highway Patrol said.
In addition to avoiding excessive speed on mountain roads, Allred said motorists should utilize passing lanes as intended.
“If they follow the law and pass safely, it should not be too much of a challenge,” he said.
In addition to multiple Utah Highway Patrol troopers, an Iron County Sheriff’s deputy also responded to the incident, as did a Gold Cross Ambulance crew.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Photo Gallery
The driver side mirror of a Chevrolet Tahoe was broken off in a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News The driver of a Dodge Ram pickup was able to reverse the vehicle back up onto the shoulder of the roadway following a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Men work to remove fencing logs and other debris from around a wrecked Dodge Ram pickup truck after a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Men work to remove fencing logs and other debris from around a wrecked Dodge Ram pickup truck after a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A wrecked Dodge Ram pickup sits among quaking aspen trees following a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A wrecked Dodge Ram pickup sits among quaking aspen trees following a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A Ford F-250 pickup sustained only minor damage when it was sideswiped in a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A wrecked Dodge Ram pickup sits among quaking aspen trees following a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Tire skid marks show where a Dodge Ram pickup left the roadway following a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A Utah Highway Patrol trooper investigates the scene of a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News The driver side mirror of a Chevrolet Tahoe was broken off in a collision involving multiple vehicles on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Multiple Utah Highway Patrol troopers investigate the scene of a multi-vehicle collision on state Route 14 in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, July 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.