Passenger car tries to ‘shoot the gap’ around semi but fails

Nissan Murano becomes wedged between semitractor-trailer and the sidewalk on Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, May 1, 2018 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A passenger car and a semitractor-trailer became entangled at a busy intersection on Bluff Street Tuesday during a right turn that went wrong.

Officers, paramedics and firefighters tend to scene of crash involving Nissan Murano and a semitractor-trailer on Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, May 1, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Shortly after 10 a.m., a two-vehicle crash was reported at the intersection of West 700 South and Bluff Street involving a Nissan Murano and a semitractor-trailer, St. George Police officer Dave McDaniel said.

Officers found the Nissan smashed between the semi and the sidewalk, with the woman driving the Nissan outside of the car reporting minor injuries.

Westbound traffic on West 700 South was blocked at the intersection for less than 45 minutes while officers redirected traffic away from the crash.

After speaking with witnesses at the scene, officers determined that the semi heading west on 700 South approached the light and proceeded to turn right to head north on Bluff Street, while the Nissan pulled alongside the semi using the parking lane to do the same.

Gray Nissan Murano becomes wedged between a semitractor-trailer and the sidewalk during crash on Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, May 1, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

During the turn, the semi’s rear tires caught the driver’s side of the Nissan and started to drag the car a few feet forward, until the semi driver became aware of the Nissan and immediately applied the brakes.

“The semi truck was legally in the lane of travel,” McDaniel said, adding that the semi driver looked to the left while making the turn just as the Nissan pulled up beside the truck, and the semi driver only became aware of the passenger car after the vehicles became wedged together, he said.

“The Nissan left the lane of travel and entered the parking lane,” McDaniel said, “and then tried to shoot the gap to pass the semi that was making a wide right, which didn’t work.”

McDaniel went on to say that when there is a solid white line dividing a travel lane, that indicates the separation between a travel lane and a parking lane.

If there is a break in the line near the intersection then that would indicate a turn lane, but in this case the Nissan entered a parking lane to make the right turn to head north on Bluff, and the semi driver had no way of knowing there would be a vehicle in the parking lane.

The semi sustained no visible damage while the Nissan sustained extensive damage on the front driver’s side of the vehicle and was later towed from the scene.

The woman driving the Nissan was cited for an improper turn.

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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14 Comments

  • MSLL May 1, 2018 at 5:54 pm

    Only in Southern Utah… Jackass…

    • Ridic May 1, 2018 at 6:32 pm

      Hate to say it but it isn’t only southern Utah drivers. There are inconsiderate, and impatient drivers everywhere including “professional” drivers. As a fellow truck driver with over 1,000,000 safe miles I get so sick of these idiots doing stupid stuff around trucks. This car driver got exactly what she deserved. Slow down, back the hell off, and give us drivers room to operate please! I really wish they would require everyone to either drive or ride around in a semi so they would learn what it’s actually like and what it takes to handle one of these big trucks.

  • Real Life May 1, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    Instant Karma.

  • Mean Momma May 1, 2018 at 11:43 pm

    I’m sorry but this makes me laugh! Okay I’m not sorry. Hahahahahahaha ?
    What an idiot!

  • comments May 2, 2018 at 12:51 am

    The cop is going to lecture us about “how this is a parking lane, not a right turn lane”. THE FACT IS EVERYONE USES THAT AS A RIGHT TURNING LANE. IT’S RIDICULOUS THAT THE COP IS GIVING A LECTURE ON IT. IF THERE’S THIS MASSIVE PROBLEM W/ PEOPLE USING IT AS A TURN LANE THEN START WRITING TICKETS.

    Also, it isn’t just car drivers–plenty of idiot semi drivers. I’ve had to back up several times to avoid being clipped by the trailers of idiot noob semi drivers (WHEN I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY!). The idiots haven’t yet figured out that the trailer swings a lot wider than the truck. I wonder if this semi driver didn’t do something squirrely–like swing his right turn directly onto the inside lane of bluff and then quickly swing back into the outside lane before his trailer even finished the turn.

    • comments May 2, 2018 at 12:54 am

      i see what he was trying to do, but i’m not sure who’s really at fault here……

  • mmsandie May 2, 2018 at 8:07 am

    I blame the truck driver, some do not put on their blinkers.. they should also take a route with a wider turn.. like the end of Main Street and turning * up Bluff.. truck drivers drive too fast.. truck drivers also turn onto the street I,m on with a wide turn and 8 can,t back up to allow them more room, so go over the sidewalk..

  • PlanetU May 2, 2018 at 10:26 am

    You can tell by at least 1 picture it wasn’t the truck driver’s fault! He has to turn wide to make a turn. The woman was stupid or impatient.

  • justsaying May 2, 2018 at 10:27 am

    Totally the cars fault. Even if the truck didn’t use his blinker for whatever reason look at the point of contact, the truck is well into the turn and the car knew that. Just couldn’t wait one second I guess, gotta go gotta go!

  • comments May 2, 2018 at 11:21 am

    car prob moved up, thought about making the full turn but then stopped part way into the turn realizing there wasn’t much room, and not realizing the trailer was going to keep cutting into the turn. If he’d have made up his mind to go and not hesitated and stopped he’d prob have cleared the turn before the trailer cut into the turn and rolled into him.

    I still think it’s absurd that that cop is lecturing us about this “parking lane” being used for a turn lane. It’s what everyone does and it courteous to do so, even if it isn’t an “officially” marked right turn lane. If you were to sit in the lane that goes straight attempting to turn right EVERYONE GOING RIGHT WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT OF YOU INTO THIS “PARKING LANE” TO DO THEIR RIGHT TURN. Police enforcer McDaniel almost sound belligerent with his little lecture, and at the same time biased towards the trucker.

    “the semi driver had no way of knowing there would be a vehicle in the parking lane.”

    YES, HE DID! THERE’S A LITTLE THING THEY INVENTED JUST FOR THIS PURPOSE! THEY’RE ARE CALLED MIRRORS! THE TRUCKER SHOULD VERY WELL HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUT FOR CARS ENTERING THIS “PARKING LANE” TO DO RIGHT TURNS. TRUCKERS HAVE TO BE ON THEIR TOES AT ALL TIMES. IT’S PART OF THE JOB.

    • comments May 2, 2018 at 11:29 am

      And then it says the truck dragged the car several feet, so I’m not sure the car was at fault AT ALL. The police here is using an extremely biased technicality to lay blame on the auto driver. IT’S A TRUCK DRIVER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO BE SURE HIS TRAILER WILL CLEAR THE TURN EACH AND EVERY TIME.

      • Striker4 May 2, 2018 at 3:25 pm

        Oh wow now Prophet Bob is a traffic expert

        • comments May 2, 2018 at 4:06 pm

          It’s kinda funny dump, it isn’t that i’m an expert on these things. It just seems that way to you because you are so very very… I’d say unintelligent, but that’s a nice way of putting it. You’re simply dumb. I know that autistic kids can be very intelligent, but you are not one of those, Dump. You are autistic and you are dumb. You just don’t make the grade. You’re just dumb.

  • Striker4 May 2, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    lol …..enjoy your new insurance premiums

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