UHP cites drivers, reports on injuries in string of events including two collisions on I-15

Traffic backed up for an hour and a half as police and medical responders attended to two rear-ending collisions on Interstate 15, Washington County, Utah, Feb. 11, 2013 | Photo by Sheritee Hunter, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – A truck spilling bundles of insulation precipitated two rear-ending accidents on northbound Interstate 15 around 5:37 p.m. yesterday near milepost 10. Resulting injury to a child, investigation and cleanup shut down and slowed traffic flow for an hour and a half.

Honda Accord, damaged in one of two rear-ending accidents on Interstate 15 near milepost 10, photographed at the yard after being towed. The driver was cited for “following too close.” Washington County, Utah, Feb. 11, 2013 | Photo by Chris Caldwell, St. George News

The string of events was precipitated by a Chevy Silverado losing several large bundles of insulation onto the northbound lanes of the highway. The 30-year-old driver, from Washington City, contacted the Utah Highway Patrol and has been cited for “spilling load.”

Within seconds of the spill, the nearly-simultaneous rear-end collisions occurred, UHP Cpl. Todd Johnson said.

The first involved a red Ford Explorer, driven by a 23-year-old woman from Washington city, slowing down to avoid the insulation on the highway.  She was rear-ended by a Honda Accord, driven by a 20-year-old woman from Hurricane.  The woman in the Explorer had two small children with her, one of who suffered possible injuries – a “go and get checked” kind of injury, Johnson said, there was no ambulance transport required. The Hurricane woman has been cited for “following too close” in her Honda.

The second of the collisions involved a white Mazda 626 driven by a 26-year-old woman from Lehi, with no passengers. She also slowed down to avoid the debris from the insulation spill. When she did, a red Vokswagen Beetle behind her veered to the left to avoid hitting her, but did collide with the left portion of the Mazda’s rear bumper, continuing on into the median where the Beetle struck the cable barrier.

The Beetle was driven 34-year-old man from Colorado Springs, Colo. He had three passengers with him, one of whom was a child suffering what the UHP report characterizes as an “incapacitating injury.” The boy was flown by Life Flight to a hospital in Las Vegas, Nev. Johnson said the child is going to be fine: “It was more precautionary because he was young and bumped his head pretty hard.”

No citations have yet been issued in connection with the Mazda-Beetle collision.

Related posts

Following too close, spilled load both factors in concurrent accidents on I-15; STGnews Photo Gallery

One of the vehicles involved in the two separate two-car accidents on northbound I-15 at milepost 10, Washington County, Utah, Feb. 11, 2013 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol
Liftoff from Interstate 15 near milepost 10, carrying injured to Las Vegas. Two two-car accidents. Washington County, Utah, Feb. 11, 2013 | Photo by Kevin Sanders, St. George News
One of the vehicles involved in the two separate two-car accidents on northbound I-15 at milepost 10, Washington County, Utah, Feb. 11, 2013 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol

 

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Traffic backed up for an hour and a half as police and medical responders attended to two rear-ending collisions on Interstate 15, Washington County, Utah, Feb. 11, 2013 | Photo by Sheritee Hunter, St. George News

 

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3 Comments

  • Melissa February 12, 2013 at 1:32 pm

    I see cars following too close all the time, and cops ignoring it. They only give citations for it once an accident has taken place. Accident isn’t even the right word, because if they weren’t following too close, a crash wouldn’t have happened. Citations, warnings at the very least, need to be given when the police see “tailgating” before a crash occurs. Having said that, I’m glad no one was injured seriously.

  • Debra February 12, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    Melissa you’re right when you say people following too close in very common; however, I’ve seen two different people get pulled over that were following me to closely. It may have been because both of these individuals also come up behind me fast, apparently speeding. Of course, I don’t what they were cited for, but I do see the police stopping people when they see it. The police officers can’t be every where and see every bad driver.

    • melissa February 15, 2013 at 9:58 am

      You’re very right there, Debra, they can’t be everywhere all the time, and I understand they don’t have the time to stop everyone who chooses to drive this way. But when I’m driving the speed limit and a car is so far up my butt that I cant see the hood, only the windshield and people in the car, in my rearview mirror and a cop just toodles on by, it makes me upset. If I have to brake, that car is going to hit me and that cop is going have to turn around and it’s going to take more time and money to sort out an accident than to take ten-fifteen minutes to cite the other driver.
      The day after I posted that comment, I got hit from behind on River Road. Driver in front me was turning left, but didn’t use the turning lane properly. Fine, I was far enough back and paying attention. I slowed down, didn’t even have to hit my brakes hard, but the car behind me was too close and hit me.
      Is this not taught in driver’s ed.?

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