4 transported to Beaver Hospital following rollover on gravel road

Two of the women in the vehicle sustained severe injuries after they were ejected from the bed of the pick-up truck, North Creek, Beaver County, Utah, May 6, 2021 | Courtesy of Beaver County Sheriff's Office, Cedar City News

ST. GEORGE — Four people were injured when a pickup truck rolled over on South Fork Road in the North Creek area of Beaver County. All occupants were transported by ambulance to Beaver Hospital where an Intermountain Life Flight helicopter was waiting, according to the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office.

A view of the truck along with debris scattered along the South Fork Road, North Creek, Beaver County, Utah, May 6, 2021 | Courtesy of Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar City News

Deputy Lonnie Laws said the incident occurred when a group of related women and girls was traveling to visit family in the area. As they drove along the gravel road at a high speed, the driver – a 21-year-old woman – lost control of the truck and overcorrected, resulting in a rollover, Laws said.

“Speed was probably a big factor as the cause of the crash,” Laws said. “I don’t know the exact speed, but they were definitely driving too fast for a gravel road. And then the fact that the two that received the most critical injuries were the two that weren’t seatbelted in. They were having fun, and it turned dangerous in a hurry.”

Laws said the state of the crash site and the truck indicated that the vehicle rolled once all the way over before coming to rest. Two of the passengers, a 12-year-old and an 18-year-old, were actually riding in the bed of the silver Toyota Tacoma and were ejected when the vehicle rolled.

“They were the two that sustained severe injuries,” Laws said. “We suspect there were some neck and back injuries, both lower and upper back. The driver and the other front passenger have minor injuries typical with a rollover in a seatbelted position.”

A satellite view of the site of the rollover, North Creek, Beaver County, Utah, May 6, 2021 | Courtesy of Google Maps, Cedar City News

Laws said that there was enough space and plenty of seatbelts for all passengers, and that seatbelts should be worn at all times while traveling in a vehicle to avoid serious injury.

First responders from Beaver Ambulance and Beaver Fire Department arrived with multiple ambulances to provide treatment and transportation to the hospital. At the time of writing this report, Laws said the condition of those involved was not deemed severe enough to require transport to a larger hospital, but a Life Flight helicopter was on standby.

Laws said the crash was still under investigation, but no citation has been issued at this point.

This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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