CEDAR CITY — Two similar but unrelated single-car crashes occurred in Cedar City about 90 minutes apart Tuesday morning, with each driver being taken to the hospital.
The first incident occurred shortly after 8:30 a.m. on 200 North just east of 500 West. Police say the female driver of a white Buick Enclave SUV was heading westbound when she reportedly experienced some sort of medical emergency, causing her vehicle to drift off the roadway, jump the curb and sidewalk and strike a light pole.
Cedar City Police Sgt. Dustin Orton told Cedar City News that although the woman sustained “no visible injuries” from the crash itself, she was transported via ambulance to Cedar City Hospital for treatment of possible complications associated with the medical event that led to it.
Nobody else was inside the car besides the driver, police said. Additionally, no other cars were involved, although the Buick either barely missed or did make incidental contact with an unoccupied vehicle parked on the curbside.
The Buick sustained significant front-end damage and was towed from the scene.
Then, shortly after 10 a.m., another crash was reported to dispatchers, this one on Westview Drive, just north of the intersection with 1950 South.
In that incident, a white Suzuki Aero compact car with a female driver ended up leaving the roadway and rolling at least once before coming to rest on its wheels on the other side of a barbed-wire fence.
Iron County Sheriff’s Sgt. David Mitchell said the incident appears to be a case of distracted driving.
“Being distracted by a cell phone ringing caused her to leave the roadway,” he said, adding that the woman sustained a small laceration to her elbow along with other minor injuries. She was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the crash and was taken to Cedar City Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
The Suzuki sustained heavy damage and was towed from the scene.
This report is based on preliminary information from law enforcement and first responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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Left: single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North. Right: rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photos by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle crash involving a Buick hitting a light pole near 500 W. 200 North, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a Suzuki Aero on Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 22, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.