Emergency medical personnel work to transport the driver of a Chevrolet Malibu involved in a collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — A driver leaving Interstate 15 at Exit 6 rear ended another vehicle stopped at the intersection atop the Bluff Street overpass Saturday evening, totaling her car and damaging two other vehicles, police said.
Shortly after 5:30 p.m., a woman driving a silver Chevrolet Malibu exited the northbound off-ramp and collided with the rear end of a white Lexus utility vehicle that was stopped at a red light, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Hintze said.
“It doesn’t look like they were braking,” Hintze said of the Malibu’s driver, adding that after the initial collision, the Lexus went forward and struck the rear end of a dark blue Dodge Ram pickup truck that was also stopped at the light.
“After the Chevy Malibu, the vehicle that first initiated the collision, hit the back of the Lexus, it began to back down the off-ramp about a hundred yards until it hit the concrete barrier and came to a stop at the very bottom,” Hintze said, adding that the Malibu’s driver was unconscious when the car came to rest.
A witness at the scene said he got out of his vehicle and tried to chase the rolling car, which was stopped by the barrier only a few yards away from where it would have re-entered the busy interstate.
After being taken out of her car and loaded onto a stretcher by emergency medical personnel, the Malibu driver was transported by Gold Cross Ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center for treatment. Her condition was not immediately available at the time of this report.
No other injuries were reported. The three drivers were the only occupants of their respective vehicles.
The Dodge sustained only minor damage to its rear trailer hitch and was driven away from the scene by its owner.
The Lexus, which sustained moderate rear-end damage in addition to some front-end damage, was towed from the scene, and the driver was given a ride from the scene by a friend.
The Malibu sustained significant front-end damage and its airbags were deployed in the collision. It was towed from the scene.
The exact cause of the crash is not yet known to police, Hintze said, but the Malibu driver is likely to be cited pending further investigation.
In addition to UHP and Gold Cross Ambulance, personnel from St. George Fire Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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Scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
Scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
Emergency medical personnel work to extricate the driver of a Chevrolet Malibu involved in a collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
Emergency medical personnel work to extricate the driver of a Chevrolet Malibu involved in a collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
Emergency medical personnel work to transport the driver of a Chevrolet Malibu involved in a collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
White Lexus at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
White Lexus at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
White Lexus at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
Blue Dodge pickup at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
White Lexus at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
Silver Chevrolet Malibu at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
Silver Chevrolet Malibu at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
A tow truck driver talks to UHP Trooper Grant Hintze at the scene of a three-vehicle collision on the Interstate 15 off-ramp at Exit 6, St. George Utah, Feb. 24, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.