CEDAR CITY — A man who police say may have experienced a medical episode drove off the shoulder of Interstate 15 Wednesday morning and crashed into a wire fence.

The incident, which occurred shortly after 8 a.m. on northbound I-15 near mile marker 50, just south of the Hamilton Fort exit, involved a white 2007 Honda Accord being driven by a man described as being in his late teens or early 20s.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Daniel Nielson told Cedar City News that when he responded to the scene, the driver was already out of the car.

“He was coherent when I got here. He was out walking around,” Nielson said.

The driver reported having a “severe headache” as he drove under an underpass a short distance south of where he went off the road, Nielson said.

“He told me that he received a head injury yesterday that resulted in a severe headache,” Nielson said. “A similar headache today caused him to blackout.”

“He remembered going under the bridge, and the next thing he remembered was hitting the dirt, the car spinning and then hitting the fence,” he added. 

Neilson said the man had been wearing his seat belt and showed “no sign of obvious injury.” He was evaluated by Gold Cross Ambulance personnel at the scene. 

Nielson said there is no suspected impairment due to drugs or alcohol. The driver was the only occupant of the Honda, and no other vehicles were involved.

The Honda sustained moderate to heavy damage and needed to be towed away. 

Traffic on the interstate was not impacted, as the emergency vehicles and tow truck were able to access the wrecked car from a frontage road that runs along the east side of I-15.

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