Reckless driver hits minivan with family inside, seriously injuring man

A man is loaded onto a stretcher after receiving serious injuries when a car slammed into the minivan he was a passenger in, St. George, Utah, Feb. 5, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A driver who police say was driving recklessly collided with a minivan near Pine View High School Monday, sending one man to the hospital with serious injuries.

A man is loaded onto a stretcher after being seriously injured in a crash, St. George, Utah, Feb. 5, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

A Cadillac CTS was eastbound on E 450 North traveling between 50-60 mph at about 3:40 p.m., said St. George Police officer Dave McDaniel. The road has a posted speed limit of 30 mph.

A woman driving a Dodge Grand Caravan with family members inside was crossing the road on 2720 East when McDaniel said the Cadillac tried to swerve around the front of the Grand Caravan.

The Grand Caravan slammed into the side of the Cadillac and sent both cars spinning. The Cadillac spun out over the curb and hit a water line for a nearby condo development, causing water to gush out onto the street. The Grand Caravan slid to a stop against the curb, McDaniel said.

A male passenger in the Grand Caravan received neck, spine and chest injuries, McDaniel said. He was transported to the hospital by a Gold Cross Ambulance. The extent of his injuries was not known at the time of this report.

Everyone involved was wearing a seatbelt, or else it would have been a lot worse, he said.

“One of the poor girls in the minivan even has got marks on her chest from her kid harness,” McDaniel said.

Water gushes out onto the street under a damaged Cadillac CTS that police say was driving recklessly, St. George, Utah, Feb. 5, 2018 | Photo by Spencer Ricks, St. George News

Both cars had major damage, so they had to be towed from the scene. The driver of the Cadillac received citations for reckless driving, speeding and moving violations, McDaniel said.

Jeff Knight, who was inside his townhome with his wife when the crash occurred, heard the incident from within his kitchen. He said he isn’t surprised the crash happened at the intersection of E 450 North and 2720 East because of how fast drivers take E 450 North.

“When we’re trying to pull out of our driveway here, people always almost hit us and they flip us off,” Knight said. “A four-way stop would definitely help control the speeds here, especially because of all the kids that cross here and all that.”

Knight said he often avoids this intersection because of how fast people drive around it.

St. George Fire Department also responded to the scene.

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

Email: [email protected]

Twitter:  @STGnews | @SpencerRicks

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

 

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

6 Comments

  • mshaw February 6, 2018 at 5:29 am

    This story is poorly written. It started out professional and ended in a homeowner wanting a stop sign. I believe the police should patrol that area. Maybe Spencer should go back to school

    • Anon February 6, 2018 at 8:38 am

      What?! It started out with an accident that has resulted from a common problem in the area and a homeowner with a solution. If you couldn’t follow the logic there, then you are the one that needs to go back to school. As for the home owner’s suggestion: Put in the 4 way stop. Good luck!

  • stevepaint February 6, 2018 at 8:29 am

    I’ve never seen any traffic speed enforcement anywhere in this town. People speed up to the next stoplight and continue turning left on red arrows.

  • LunchboxHero February 6, 2018 at 10:48 am

    I wonder if the Cadillac driver is one of those dimwits who “make no apologies” for driving 80 through the Gorge. My heart goes out to the family in the van. I’m so sorry this fool caused you injury and inconvenience through his own selfishness, carelessness, and disregard.

  • mctrialsguy February 6, 2018 at 11:14 am

    What? A wreck in St. George….no…couldn’t be!!! Is everyone just stupid or arrogant and can’t follow any rules or laws??? This is getting a bit out of control. Seriously….people…wake up!!!!

  • utahdiablo February 6, 2018 at 11:21 am

    It’s all about a few speed bumps in front of schools folks, the local police here tell us it’s “Illegal” to have speed bumps….that is total BS….so it;s okay to have endless reckless drivers going 30 mph over the posted limit in a school zone, but to have a speed bump to insure they slow down ( ever try to go over a speed bump too fast? yeah, you won’t do that again huh ) ….so call into your local mayor and demand they put these in, otherwise your children may end up being the speed bump from these careless drivers

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.