Motorist fails to complete turn, crashes into van

Two vehicles smashed into each other at the state Route 18 and Red Hills Parkway intersection, St. George, Utah, Nov. 21, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Two vehicles collided in a St. George intersection Saturday night after a motorist in the intersection’s turning lane decided to go straight instead of completing his turn.

Two vehicles smashed into each other at the state Route 18 and Red Hills Parkway intersection, St. George, Utah, Nov. 21, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Two vehicles smashed into each other at the state Route 18 and Red Hills Parkway intersection, St. George, Utah, Nov. 21, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Around 10:15 p.m., the driver of a 2002 silver Toyota Camry was traveling south on state Route 18 when he merged into the left turn lane at the SR-18 and Red Hills Parkway intersection, St. George Police Sgt. Spencer Holmes said.

At the intersection, both north- and southbound traffic have green lights simultaneously to turn left in front of and away from each other, Holmes said.

However, the driver of the Toyota Camry continued traveling straight from the turn lane, Holmes said, instead of turning left onto Red Hills Parkway.

“He was in the turn lane but he continued straight into a vehicle that was facing north on SR-18, turning west or left onto Snow Canyon Parkway,” Holmes said. “He struck that vehicle and it looks like it spun it around pretty good.”

The driver of the Toyota Camry suffered a minor cut to his head as a result of the collision, Holmes said.

The two occupants of the other vehicle, a 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan, also received minor injuries and were checked out and treated by medical personnel at the scene but declined transport to the hospital.

The driver of the Toyota Camry was issued a citation for an improper turn, Holmes said.

Both vehicles were rendered inoperable during the collision and had to be towed from the scene.

The St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance responded to the collision.

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

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  • mmsandie November 23, 2015 at 5:27 pm

    This is a confusing intersection, when coming up Bluff there is no sign for red hills parkway or known as skyline dr.. So,pooeple go under and try to turn or over th right side and then have to make a u turn to come back, signs should be changed, it’s happened to me and I live closeby and 20 hrs in town,, I see people making u turns all the time.. Why doesn,t someone in town making these decisions, try it out themselves and see , the signs are wrong..

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