Driver dies in violent rollover off East Telegraph

Multiple responders arrive to assist in a rollover crash off East Telegraph that killed the driver early Thursday morning, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

WASHINGTON CITY — A Hurricane woman was killed when her vehicle rolled end-over-end down a 20-foot ravine off of East Telegraph Street Thursday morning.

Shortly after 6:30 a.m. emergency personnel were dispatched to 3750 E. Telegraph Street in Washington City involving a silver Pontiac passenger car that came to rest approximately 20 feet from the roadway.  According to initial reports, the driver was trapped inside of the vehicle.

Silver Pontiac rolls down 20-foot ravine off East Telegraph early Thursday morning, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Responders found the car down a steep embankment with the driver unconscious inside. Emergency personnel freed the woman from the wreckage and she was transported to Dixie Regional Medical center with critical injuries, Washington City Police spokesman Ed Kantor said.

She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, he said.

Police believe the woman was heading west on East Telegraph when, for reasons not yet determined, the vehicle swerved to the left and continued veering across the median and both eastbound lanes of traffic.

The car went off the left shoulder of the road when the vehicle’s front bumper struck the ground, which flipped the car over and sent it rolling down the embankment.

“That vehicle flipped at least one time, and instead of rolling sideways, it was end-over-end, but we won’t have exact details until further investigation,” Kantor said.

The crash shattered the rear window, scattering the vehicle’s contents across the surrounding area.

Rear windshield of Pontiac is shattered during violent rollover off East Telegraph that killed the driver early Thursday morning, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

“While we don’t know the speed involved, it would be similar to a head-on collision when the front bumper hit that embankment,” Kantor said, “making this crash much more dangerous.”

The vehicle sustained extensive damage and was later pulled to the top of the embankment and towed from the scene.

It is unknown whether heavy rain at the time of the crash was a contributing factor, Kantor said, but cautioned drivers to use care when driving in the rain. He went on to say that hydroplaning on wet roads can be just as dangerous as sliding on icy roads.

Washington City Police, Washington City Fire, Hurricane Valley Fire and EMS and the Utah Department of Transportation’s Incident Management Team responded and assisted with the scene.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

 

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