Bluff Street crash: ‘It looked like an accordion up here’

Firefighters and tow truck operators work in heavy traffic to clear a two-vehicle crash on Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, Sept. 27, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

ST. GEORGE Two vehicles traveling through the middle of the construction zone in heavy traffic on Bluff Street collided, leaving one vehicle destroyed and a driver cited Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters respond to a two-vehicle crash on Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, Sept. 27, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Shortly after 4 p.m. officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on Bluff Street near West 500 North involving a brown Ford F-350 pickup truck and a black two-door passenger car.

Officers found the passenger car in the middle of the roadway partially blocking traffic in both directions while the Ford was stopped in the northbound lane of Bluff Street.

Officers learned after speaking with witnesses at the scene that the Ford was heading north on Bluff Street, with the passenger car traveling directly behind the Ford, St. George Police Officer Ken Childs said.

Meanwhile, several vehicles just ahead of the Ford “hit their brakes hard,”the Ford driver, Tristan Carter, said, adding that he did the same, and was able to apply his brakes in time to avoid hitting the vehicle directly in front of him.

The driver in the passenger vehicle did the same, but was unable to stop in time and struck the rear bumper of the Ford.

“It looked like an accordion up here,” Carter said, with vehicles stopping abruptly, giving little warning to the line of cars traveling behind them.

Childs added that it was typical for that time of day, where a stop-and-go traffic pattern begins as afternoon commuters weave their way through the construction zone.

The truck sustained minimal damage to the rear bumper and remained operational, while the passenger car sustained extensive front-end damage and was subsequently towed from the scene.

The driver of the passenger car was later cited for following too close, Childs said. No injuries were reported..

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

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4 Comments

  • tazzman September 27, 2018 at 8:58 pm

    Ladies and gentlemen, this is known as TAILGATING. This is being too close to someone in front of you where, if they were to come to a complete stop, you would be unable to stop in time.

    We all learned this in driver’s education.

    Utah is a prime place for tailgating. I’ve lived here for forty-two of my forty-five years and we are as guilty as anyone of it.

    Slow.Down.

  • KR567 September 28, 2018 at 4:12 am

    Oh the way people drive out here is absolutely ridiculous

  • Carpe Diem September 28, 2018 at 7:18 am

    Cmon peeps! Pay attention!

  • Mike P September 29, 2018 at 11:56 am

    There’s gotta be a “failure to yield” in here somewhere. It’s Southern Utah……..

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