Police: seat belt helped spare driver in pickup rollover on I-15

ST. GEORGE — A man whose pickup truck rolled on Interstate 15 Sunday afternoon would likely have been more seriously injured if he had not been wearing his seat belt, police said.

The incident, which occurred shortly after 1:30 p.m. on northbound I-15 near mile marker 15, involved a light silver Chevrolet Silverado with an adult male driver as its only occupant.

Traffic on northbound I-15 was impacted for approximately one hour while responders worked to clear the scene. With only the far right lane remaining open, traffic became backed up for nearly five miles, as far south as Exit 10 at Green Springs.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Hicks said the Silverado driver apparently veered right at first, then overcorrected to the left side of the roadway, where the vehicle collided with a concrete dividing barrier and rolled onto its side, blocking the left lane.

In addition to UHP, responders from Hurricane Valley Fire and EMS and Washington City Police were among those called to the scene. 

The driver was transported by ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries that were not believed to be life threatening.

Northbound traffic is backed up at the scene of a single-vehicle rollover involving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup on Interstate 15, Washington County, Utah, March 8, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

“He was wearing his seat belt and his air bags deployed, which contributed to the fact that he survived,” Hicks said. “This could’ve been much worse. Wear your seat belts.”

Hicks said the cause of the crash is still undetermined. A possible mechanical issue, such as with the steering mechanism or one of the wheels, is being looked into, he said, adding that no citations have been issued pending further investigation.

A tow truck removed the Silverado from the scene just before 2:30, alleviating the congestion and enabling vehicles in all three lanes to begin moving again.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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