Police investigating if drugs caused crash involving reckless driver

ST. GEORGE — A driver who ran his car off Brigham Road in St. George Tuesday told police drugs weren’t the reason he crashed, but officers are still investigating it as a cause for the wreck.

A car is totaled after crashing into a tree and running off Brigham Road in St. George, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

The driver was in a Kia sedan traveling east on Brigham Road at about 6:20 p.m. when he veered off to the right and plowed over a small tree, St. George Police officer Jace Hutchings said.

“After he plowed into the tree, for whatever reason, he put it into reverse and drove straight across all five lanes of traffic and ended up off the road,” Hutchings said.

The car jumped the curb on the other side of the road from the tree and spun around in a patch of gravel. The car was totaled from the crash, but luckily, no other vehicles were involved in the crash, Hutchings said.

Two Gold Cross Ambulances and the St. George Fire Department responded to the scene, but the driver was not injured.

“He says there are no drugs involved – the statements are a little inconsistent – but we’re still trying to figure out what the contributing factors are, whether it’s his phone or if it was drugs or alcohol,” Hutchings said.

A K-9 officer arrived on the scene to investigate the vehicle for possible drugs. The investigation is still ongoing at this time, Hutchings said.

In the meantime, Hutchings said the driver will likely be cited for reckless driving and for driving with an invalid driver’s license. If drugs is found to be a cause of the crash, the driver will be charged with DUI.

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

Email: [email protected]

Twitter:  @STGnews | @SpencerRicks

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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4 Comments

  • mmsandie September 26, 2018 at 9:53 am

    Wow doesn,t matter which major rd you take in St. George. Their all dangerous,, river rd, Brigham rd, Bluff st, Dixie Drive, Sunset etc.. be careful drivers, use seatbelts, don’t run red lights, no texting, don’t be distracted..

  • Kilroywashere September 26, 2018 at 11:06 am

    Amen. Be ye Awakened Drivers! And using your cellphone while driving on drugs or under the influence of alcohol is a deadly combination. Russian roulette

  • Carpe Diem September 26, 2018 at 2:36 pm

    Whoa, lucky he didnt kill someone!

  • Mike P September 27, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    I don’t think drugs caused the crash. I believe it was the idiot driving the car that caused the crash. Just sayin’

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