Driver crashes after drifting into oncoming traffic while reaching for sunglasses

ST. GEORGE — Traffic on Dixie Downs Road in St. George was rerouted around a collision Sunday afternoon after the driver of a white Honda Civic drifted into oncoming traffic and collided with a gold Hyundai SUV.

A two-car collision caused traffic to be rerouted on Dixie Downs Drive, St. George, Utah, June 7, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News
A two-car collision caused traffic to be rerouted on Dixie Downs Road, St. George, Utah, June 7, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News

Just before 5:30 p.m., a young man, driving a Honda Civic, south on Dixie Downs Road, reached over to grab a pair of sunglasses off the passenger seat of his car as he was merging into the left turning lane, St. George Police Sgt. Dave Williams said.

The distraction caused the young man to drift into oncoming traffic and hit a gold Hyundai SUV, he said.

While the elderly couple in the Hyundai SUV reported no injuries, Williams said, the driver of the Honda Civic did suffer minor injuries to the face, and was treated at the scene.

The driver of the Honda Civic was issued a citation for improper lane travel, Williams said.

Airbags deployed in both vehicles, and both had to be towed from the scene.

A two-car collision caused traffic to be rerouted on Dixie Downs Drive, St. George, Utah, June 7, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News
A two-car collision caused traffic to be rerouted on Dixie Downs Road, St. George, Utah, June 7, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News

In addition to the St. George Police Department, the St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance responded to the collision.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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5 Comments

  • RealMcCoy June 8, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    A ‘young man’?
    Since when does this site not declare the ages of the Open Book Test graduates?

    • Lastdays June 8, 2015 at 2:40 pm

      Yea, its just as arbitrary as the fill in the blank statement “I ran into the other car because I was reaching for the _________” The drivers of the many cars that mysteriously crash almost daily into others are running out of excuses to fill in the blank.

    • Mike June 8, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      You say it like you took the super tough Closed Book Driver test.

      • RealMcCoy June 8, 2015 at 5:45 pm

        I did. I took my original driver test in a state that has a real driving test (closed book), and if you failed, you had to wait to take it again.
        When I moved here I took the open book test, but I didn’t know it was open book, so I actually studied the book and took the test without a book.
        Aced it.
        The kid that I thought was cheating next to me (open book in his lap), failed.
        How do you fail an open book test??

        • Simone June 8, 2015 at 9:34 pm

          Ive noticed that the states that have a lot of open book tests also have a high percentage of Republican voters.

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