Inattention causes collision, injury on Dixie Drive

Traffic collision near 260 North, Dixie Drive resulted in traffic delays, St. George, Utah, July 28, 2014 | Photo by Drew Allred, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Monday evening a woman was transported to the hospital after she pulled an illegal U-turn on Dixie Drive resulting in a two-car accident which blocked both southbound lanes and caused traffic delays for a time.

The accident that was reported around 5:45 p.m. occurred after two vehicles that were stopped on the shoulder of Dixie Drive facing south tried to make U-turns across traffic. As they attempted the U-turn from the shoulder, a gray Dodge Stratus traveling south was barely able to miss the first vehicle but not the second, St. George Police Capt. Gordon McCracken said.

The Stratus collided with a Toyota Camry causing significant damage to both vehicles.

The man driving the Stratus was left with airbag burns, but was up walking around after the accident. The woman driving the Camry was taken by Gold Cross Ambulance to the Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George. Although injured, the woman was in fair-to-good condition, McCracken said.

“It’s a good thing no one was more seriously hurt,” the police captain said.

There was no apparent impairment, he said, just inattention by the driver of the Camry.

It is legal to make a U-turn anywhere in Utah as long as there is not a warning sign prohibiting it.

“You just have to do it safely,” McCracken said, “which she didn’t do. It would have been perfectly legal had he not been coming.”

Both cars had to be towed from the scene.

Members of the St. George Fire Department were also on scene assisting with traffic control and cleanup.

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

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7 Comments

  • groanattack July 28, 2014 at 9:25 pm

    Must be the HEAT!

    • Incognegro (Josh Dalton) July 29, 2014 at 7:53 am

      Mixed with texting and trying to find a good song on Pandora!

  • bob July 29, 2014 at 1:22 am

    could be the humidity…

    • My Evil Twin July 29, 2014 at 9:36 am

      I’m thinking more the stupidity. . .

  • Zeke July 29, 2014 at 10:46 am

    “Inattention” did not cause the accident, the person making the intentional U-turn caused the accident.

  • lp July 29, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    It does seem that there has been increase in the amount of bad drivers in the last few weeks….

  • Beerbelly July 29, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    Trying to make a U-turn from the shoulder on a 5 lane road? It might be legal but it doesn’t make it smart. Unfortunately you don’t have to have common sense to get a Drivers License.

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