Car lands 200 feet away during 4-vehicle crash on Bluff

ST. GEORGE — A four-vehicle crash on Bluff Street blocked lanes, delayed traffic and baffled first responders when one of the vehicles was located on a plywood walkway hundreds of feet away.

Southbound traffic on Bluff Street is backed up as responders and tow truck operators clear debris and wreckage after four-vehicle crash, St. George, Utah, June 1, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Shortly after 10 a.m. officers and emergency personnel responded to a four-vehicle crash at the intersection of Bluff Street and West Sunset Boulevard involving a blue Toyota Camry, a small white SUV, a black Kia Soul and a white Mercury Grand Marquis, St. George Police officer Ken Childs said.

Officers located three of the vehicles scattered along the southbound lane of Bluff and minutes later discovered the Toyota near the westbound lane of Sunset Boulevard.

All southbound traffic on Bluff Street was initially blocked, and a single lane was reopened several minutes later.

No serious injuries were reported in the crash, Childs said, and no one was transported to the hospital.

A blue Toyota comes to rest on a plywood sidewalk more than 200 feet from where it was involved in a crash (shown in upper right corner of photo) at the intersection of Bluff Street and Sunset Boulevard, St. George, Utah, June 1, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The Toyota was stopped in the southbound lane of Bluff Street waiting for the traffic light to change, and the Kia was stopped directly behind the Toyota.

Meanwhile, the Mercury was heading north on Bluff Street in the outside “through” lane, while the white SUV was westbound on Sunset Boulevard making a left turn onto Bluff Street heading north.

The crash was set in motion when the driver of the white SUV “swung wide” during the turn and struck the Mercury’s driver’s side rear panel, which caused its driver to lose control and crash into the front of the Toyota, Childs said.

The impact pushed the Toyota backward, striking the front of the Kia. The Toyota then accelerated forward and to the left, jumping two dirt embankments before slamming onto a temporary plywood walkway alongside Sunset Boulevard.

View facing west toward Sunset Boulevard where a blue Toyota came to rest during four-vehicle crash on Bluff Street and Sunset Boulevard, St. George, Utah, June 1, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The Toyota came to rest more than 200 feet from where the impact occurred.

“I still have no idea how that Toyota ended up all the way over there,” Childs said, adding that the driver may have panicked and hit the gas, but she was unable to tell police exactly what happened.

One witness said it appeared the woman lost consciousness immediately after impact and the car lunged forward and over the two embankments.

Childs said the crash may have been captured on video, which could shed light on what transpired immediately after the initial impact.

The driver of the white SUV was cited for failing to operate within a single lane.

Traffic was impeded for nearly an hour.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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1 Comment

  • Mike P June 2, 2018 at 11:17 am

    ANOTHER famous Utah left turn !! Geeze, where in the book does it say “when making a left turn, just freekin’ ignore all other traffic around you and proceed with YOUR left turn in total disregard to any, and all, other vehicles” “Remember, safety does NOT come first for you!! YOUR left turn is first and is always way more important than anything else”. Criminy sakes, it’s an OPEN BOOK drivers license test, how could you miss this??? I believe Utah should suspend your license after the 1000th time you make an unsafe turn in front of someone. That would be like every year.

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