Two cars leaving I-15 collide on interchange; 1 taken to hospital

Two-car accident on the Dixie Drive overpass at I-15 Exit 5, St. George, Utah, Dec. 27, 2014 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Updated at 2:00 p.m., Dec. 28, 2014

ST. GEORGE – Two cars exiting Interstate 15 collided on the Dixie Drive Interchange at Exit 5 in St. George Saturday, resulting in one of the drivers being taken to the hospital.

Two-car accident over the Dixie Drive Overpass at I-15 Exit 5, St. George, Utah, Dec. 27, 2014 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Two-car accident on the Dixie Drive overpass at I-15 Exit 5, St. George, Utah, Dec. 27, 2014 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

At approximately 12:15 p.m., a white Toyota Prius traveling southbound on I-15 took the off-ramp onto the Dixie Drive Interchange and was turning eastbound onto Dixie Drive when it was struck by a red passenger car, St. George Police Lt. Thad Feltner said.

The red passenger car had also been on I-15, though traveling northbound. It entered the Dixie Drive Interchange, with the car’s driver also intending to turn east onto Dixie Drive. As the red car traveled down the off-ramp, its brakes allegedly failed and the vehicle ran through the stop sign at the end of the ramp. The side of the red car was hit by the oncoming Prius, and the impact caused one of the cars to knock over a sign in the median. Both cars came to a stop in the middle of the intersection, Feltner said.

Christopher Reeves, of Heber City, who was gathered with other family members on the side of the road, said his mother and daughters, ages 6 and 11, were in the Toyota Prius when the accident happened. He said they weren’t injured but were shaken up by the crash. Members of the Reeves family arrived at the scene shortly after being alerted about the incident.

The man driving the red passenger car was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center by Gold Cross Ambulance.

Two-car accident over the Dixie Drive Overpass at I-15 Exit 5, St. George, Utah, Dec. 27, 2014 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Two-car accident on the Dixie Drive overpass at I-15 Exit 5, St. George, Utah, Dec. 27, 2014 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Feltner said the driver of the red car had sustained possible injuries to his head and stomach area, but he did not known the extent of the injuries at the time of this publication. The car’s other occupants, identified by Feltner as the driver’s wife and a younger girl who may have been their daughter, did not require medical transportation.

Eventually, Feltner said, the driver of the red car will likely be cited for running through the stop sign.

The outer westbound and eastbound traffic lanes on the Dixie Drive Interchange largely remained open to passing motorists as responders worked to clear the scene. Both cars had to be towed away.

Pippy, currently missing, location and time of photo unknown. | Photo courtesy of Suzanne Galliher, St. George News
Pippy, location and time of photo unknown. | Photo courtesy of Suzanne Galliher, St. George News

The St. George Police and Fire departments and Gold Cross Ambulance responded to the incident.

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

Missing pet found to be released to wrong owner

The family who was in the red passenger car originally reported that a small dog named Pippy, the family’s pet, was in the car and runaway scared after the crash and asked for the public’s help in locating her.  Pippy was located safe and unharmed shortly before 6:30 p.m. Sunday morning it was reported by Kathy Roberts that a person posing as her daughter picked up Pippy Sunday morning. The dog is still missing.

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Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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19 Comments

  • ladybugavenger December 27, 2014 at 6:00 pm

    Hope the dog is found

  • InShock December 27, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    Poor Pippy! He’s got big ears, tho.

  • Parentsofpip December 27, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    We would like to thank everyone who helped us during our accident. Thankfully our little dog Pip was found and we will be able to pick her up soon thanks to the caring people who helped look for her and take care of her until we can return to pick her up. So many people were involved and thanks to the Saint George citizens for being such good people and always helping others. Its wonderful to have such great neighbors!

    Sincerely
    Parents of Pippy
    Mesquite, Nevada

  • darrel December 27, 2014 at 8:54 pm

    One less polluting Prius. God works in mysterious ways

  • Rick December 27, 2014 at 9:37 pm

    I was fully expecting this accident to have occurred on the southbound Dixie Dr exit/southbound Bluff St. onramp this is a nightmare and the engineer should be hung by his toenails as this is the worst design for an interchange ever. I realize the Dixie interchange was necessary to accommodate our city’s growth but there had to be a better way. It’s only a matte of time before there is a serious accident.
    Back to the story, I’m glad no one was badly injured and that Pippy has been returned safely to her family.

  • ladybugavenger December 27, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    Glad the dog was found. Yay!

  • groanattack December 27, 2014 at 11:24 pm

    Pippy is the only one worth caring about. As for the rest of the idiots?

    • Dawgs December 28, 2014 at 9:00 am

      Welcome to St George where dogs and cats take precedence over people. If you were in Hurricane, some people prefer horses over people.

  • Joe Smith December 28, 2014 at 12:04 am

    yay for PIP 😀

  • George Welling December 28, 2014 at 2:07 am

    I would like to hear from any one who knew my Canadian friend Russel Wiggle? I knew Russel when I served The Ebisu R and R Centre at Tokyo in 1954, my name is George Welling from England.

  • kathy roberts December 28, 2014 at 11:30 am

    Someone claimed pip and lied to the people that found her. When the people that found her called last night and asked if we made arrangements to pick up the dog we said yes. We thought they meant since the car was totaled did we have a way to get the dog from St George. Granddaughter has been crying all morning she had hopes of picking her dog up today. Please help us find Pip she is a great pet and friend. Someone stole the dog shame on them. Hope if someone sees pip they will call animal control or the police or just email me and we will take care of the thiefs. Thanks kathy roberts 702 346 8625.

    • Joe Smith December 28, 2014 at 12:51 pm

      This all sounds a little fishy.

    • ladybugavenger December 28, 2014 at 2:05 pm

      What………in the world. Pip, where are you?

    • Joe Smith December 28, 2014 at 4:00 pm

      The local wards could organize a scavenger hunt to find the lost Pip.

    • My Evil Twin December 29, 2014 at 8:13 am

      Kathy, if that is really who you are, and if you are serious, I sincerely hope that one way or another, Pip will be returned to you. But you talk about people emailing you, then leave a phone number. Perhaps you should post your email addy if that is the way you would like to be contacted.
      Of course with the group that trolls around here, I’d hesitate to post either phone number or email address. As far as you “taking care of the THIEFS,” I hope you will leave it to law enforcement. No point in going to jail because you took care of them. Though in reality, I’d LOVE to help you take care of the thieves!

  • ladybugavenger December 28, 2014 at 9:44 pm

    PIPPY where art thou? I don’t understand the motivation of impersonating someone to claim a dog lost in an accident, unless the occupants of the other car had something to do with it- that I can comprehend, but a stranger I can’t find a motive. Any conspiracy theorist have any ideas?

    • koolaid December 29, 2014 at 6:38 am

      Well, there were some Chinese in Zion the next day. Maybe there’s your connection?

      • ladybugavenger December 29, 2014 at 12:07 pm

        Good one. That’s too much lol

  • ladybugavenger December 29, 2014 at 3:58 pm

    Maybe the people that said they found Pippy didn’t truly find Pippy and they made up a story and there really was no other person that picked Pippy up.

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