Driver dies when car goes off cliff and drops into 100-foot ravine in Hurricane

Vehicle found at the bottom of a 100-foot ravine following a rollover on state Route 59 near the Hurricane Hill trailhead, Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Submitted photo, St. George News

HURRICANE — A driver was killed in a cliffside crash on state Route 59 in Hurricane after the vehicle went off a cliff and was found sitting at the bottom of a 100-foot ravine.

Drop-off where Geo Tracker went off the roadway from state Route 59 in Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Photo by Ron Chaffin, St. George News

Hurricane Police Officer Ken Thompson told St. George News that at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to SR-59 near the Hurricane Hill trailhead – more commonly known as the Hurricane Overlook – on a single-vehicle crash involving a green Geo Tracker.

Officers located the vehicle at the bottom of a ravine approximately 100 feet below the cliff’s edge. When they reached the wreckage, the officers found the driver, an elderly man, inside the vehicle and deceased, Thompson said.

Hurricane Valley Fire District also responded with the ladder truck and lights to assist in the recovery operation.

As of publication of this article, detectives and officers are at the scene taking measurements and conducting the ongoing crash investigation, Thompson said, adding that the drop off of 100 feet is an approximation only.

No other occupants are believed to be in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and the cause is still under investigation. The body of the driver was recovered with the assistance of Washington County Search and Rescue and transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner for further investigation.

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

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