WASHINGTON COUNTY – A man was transported to the hospital early Monday morning after he lost control of his vehicle on an icy roadway, causing him to crash into a power pole that subsequently came down and smashed into the roof of his vehicle.
Just before 6:30 a.m., the driver of a gray 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser and three passengers were traveling west on state Route 59 towards Hurricane when the driver started to pass another vehicle near milepost 6, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Mike Murphy said.
“He hit some of the slush that‘s in the center as he was passing,” Murphy said, “and it sucked him to the left, crossing the eastbound lane through the field fence there on the right shoulder.”
The Toyota then struck a power pole, shearing the power pole off at the base, Murphy said. The power pole crashed down on top of the vehicle where it subsequently came to rest.
“The driver was extricated due to the crush on the vehicle,” Murphy said. “He couldn’t get out through the doors or anything so they extricated him. The other three occupants were able to get out of the vehicle.”
Because the damage to the power pole, Rocky Mountain Power was called to the scene. Due to the power line arcing as responders started cutting the top off the vehicle, fire units reportedly attached a grounding rod to safely extricate the driver from the vehicle.
“It’s always a concern with the power,” Murphy said, “but the fire department and everyone responded and had the appropriate equipment to handle the situation.”
The driver was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George to be treated for nonlife-threatening injuries sustained during the crash, Murphy said. The other three occupants were treated on scene by medical personnel and released.
The driver of the Toyota was issued a citation for failure to operate within a single-lane, Murphy said.
No other vehicles were involved in the collision.
Colorado City Fire, Utah Highway Patrol, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado City Marshall and Utah Department of Transportation responded to the scene.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by authorities and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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And, again, with the unsafe operation of a vehicle — speeding and passing in a no-passing zone — in the same area as the last dozen recent accidents on SR 59. There was another accident just two days ago, unreported in the news, in the exact same spot. When will Utah take measures to stop these well-known reckless drivers before they kill innocent people??
http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2015/11/27/rsw-8-injured-in-vehicle-pileup-apple-valley/#.Vm-Ai2dIiYE