8 injured in vehicle pileup, Apple Valley

APPLE VALLEY – A head-on collision Friday afternoon in Apple Valley left eight people injured, two of them in critical condition.

Wreckage from a pileup involving several vehicles Friday, with eight people transported to the hospital with injuries. Apple Valley, Utah, Nov. 27, 2015 | Photo submitted, St. George News
Wreckage from a pileup involving several vehicles Friday, with eight people transported to the hospital with injuries. Apple Valley, Utah, Nov. 27, 2015 | Photo submitted, St. George News

The accident happened a little before 2 p.m. near milepost 5 at the intersection of state Route 59 and 1600 East.

The accident occurred when a Toyota Tundra pickup truck came over a ridge too fast and didn’t see two stopped cars, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Danny Ferguson said.

A westbound gray passenger car was stopped to make a left turn onto 1600 East, Ferguson said. Two cars were stopped behind the turning car – a silver Toyota and a white Chrysler. The gray passenger car made the left-turn safely.

At that time, a red Toyota Tundra pickup truck westbound came up too fast behind the cars, Ferguson said. In trying to avoid a rear-end collision the Toyota Tundra clipped the white Chrysler in the left rear side as it turned out around the stopped cars into the eastbound lanes, and hit an eastbound Ford F-150 pickup truck almost head-on. The impact pushed the Toyota Tundra back into the westbound lanes striking the silver Toyota car.

“Right now we’re going off the assumption — which is a pretty good assumption — that the Toyota Tundra caused all of this,” Ferguson said. “I think what you’ve got is possibly speed, too fast, just improper lookout, because he was going around these other cars, he couldn’t stop behind them so he had to go around them, so this is the aftermath of it.”

One of the occupants of the Toyota Tundra had to be transported by Life Flight helicopter to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.

Six ambulances were called out to transport the other seven people injured in the incident. Everyone in the white Chrysler was transported by ambulance, and the occupants of both trucks were transported by ambulance as well.

Traffic was stopped in both directions for over an hour while the injured were removed and cleanup of the wreck took place.

“Granted, this is a 65-mph road,” Ferguson said, “but that does not mean that you can always go 65 mph.”

Ferguson was critical of bystanders looking on at the scene of the accident.

A wrecked Ford F-150 sits along the side of state Route 59 after a pileup involving several vehicles Friday, with eight people transported to the hospital with injuries. Apple Valley, Utah, Nov. 27, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
A wrecked Ford F-150 sits along the side of state Route 59 after a pileup involving several vehicles Friday, with eight people transported to the hospital with injuries. Apple Valley, Utah, Nov. 27, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

“When I got here, we had three fire trucks, several ambulances, obviously … what really concerns me is we had so many bystanders walking in our scene,” Ferguson said. “I know most of them appeared like they were Hildale or Colorado City (people).”

Ferguson said he didn’t have a problem with the emergency responders being on scene.

“We had so many people milling about,” he said. “People don’t understand that if somebody dies in this accident … it’s a full-fledged crime scene, and we can’t have people coming in, kicking debris, spitting in places, moving stuff around, taking stuff out of the cars.”

Ferguson said he got a little irate with some of the people doing those things — and he makes no apologies for it.

“You don’t walk through an accident scene,” Ferguson said.

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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10 Comments

  • Accountable November 27, 2015 at 8:56 pm

    So Officer Ferguson got a little irate at the scene … BUT, not enough to actually patrol the area. Utah Highway Patrol and Washington County Sheriff’s departments have been contacted many, many times by the residents and the Town of Apple Valley asking them to patrol and enforce the traffic rules on this stretch of 59.

    Washington County’s response is that they do not have the resources to routinely patrol the area due to their wide breadth of responsibilities — which is true.

    In contrast, the Utah HIGHWAY Patrol’s primary duty is TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT and they refuse to patrol in that area. So the major offenders, who are traveling to and from Hildale and Colorado City, continue driving like maniacs — speeding 80+ and passing in no-passing zones — with no repercussions. The majority of those offenders do not hold valid Utah Drivers Licenses and their vehicles are not properly registered nor insured. A logical and appropriate action would be to begin conducting regular safety checks on Route 59 at Canaan (where the latest accident occurred).

    So, tell us Officer Ferguson and tell us Utah HIGHWAY Patrol how many bodies will it take to do your jobs?

  • debbie November 27, 2015 at 11:50 pm

    um.. i saw officers patrolling 59 all the time when i lived there. and i’ve only been gone 8 months. when i worked at chevron they came in to get a bite to eat.. maybe a small sheriffs substation is needed out there? might would do some good.

  • debbie November 27, 2015 at 11:50 pm

    just wondering if there are any names yet? bubbling well lane has precious peoples. wanna know they’re all ok.

  • mshaw November 28, 2015 at 3:24 am

    I’m betting that they was Colorado city residents

  • Common Sense November 28, 2015 at 7:04 am

    I hope everyone is okay. What a terrible accident. Perhaps the driver could have some of the burden of the responsibility of the accident, especially if he/she was familiar with that particular stretch of 59. You should always drive with caution. If you can’t see whats ahead of you on the road you should slow down not blunder ahead blind. If there is a problem with that part of the road the people should talk to their city council about it not Highway patrol.

  • Chris November 28, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    “I know most of them appeared like they were Hildale or Colorado City (people).” From what I’ve seen, they are the most dangerous drivers in this area.

  • Pditty November 28, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    Maybe one of the problems is there is not a turning lane, have I blown anyone’s mind???

    • Accountable November 29, 2015 at 8:28 am

      They actually pass at high speeds while people are using the turning lanes, along with passing in the no-passing zones. Entire lines of traffic have to slam on their brakes to avoid head-on collisions regularly and many are forced into the unpaved shoulders and ditches.

  • Ronn November 28, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    I travel that road every day and everyday I am nearly run off the road everyday by “Pligs”. They do not give a crap about rules or laws. It does not apply to them. Also, the “Jeffs” cops are a worthless pack of plig bodyguards.

  • old school November 29, 2015 at 9:27 am

    The road has a 65 MPH limit, known blind spots at major intersections and no turning lanes??? Are you crazy!!! If thats not a violation of some public safety statute it should be. Sounds like whoever is responsible for that stretch of road is looking at a lawsuit

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