2 transported to hospital after crash on River Road during evening rush hour

ST. GEORGEA T-bone collision near the intersection of River Road and Fort Pierce Drive on Monday injured two drivers and immobilized their vehicles.

Damage from the collision is visible on the driver side of this Toyota Highlander, St. George, Utah, June 21, 2021 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

According to St. George Police, the Monday evening accident was allegedly caused by a man turning left out of Mr. D’s Chevron. When he failed to yield to a woman traveling southbound in a blue Chevy pickup truck, his maroon Toyota SUV was struck on the driver’s side.

St. George Police Officer Jace Hutchings told St. George News the man sustained injuries to his arms and hands. The woman told police she thought her hand might be broken, he said. 

“They were actually both transported to the hospital,” Hutchings said. “The woman was picked up by her husband, and the gentleman was transported by ambulance.”

There were no other passengers in either vehicle, and both drivers were wearing their seat belts at the time of the accident, Hutchings said. The man driving the Toyota was cited for failing to yield to oncoming traffic, and both vehicles were towed from the scene.

Police and fire crews work to clear the scene after a collision, St. George, Utah, June 21, 2021 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

Along with police, first responders with the St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance assisted in managing traffic, cleaning up the scene and treating the injured motorists. 

Northbound traffic through the intersection was rerouted along Fort Pierce Drive while the vehicles were towed and debris was cleared. Vehicles traveling southbound experienced minor delays as police officers on the scene adjusted the flow of traffic through the intersection.

The accident was reported around 5:25 p.m., and the scene was cleared with traffic returning to normal by 6:05 p.m.

Hutchings said that River Road is one of the most heavily trafficked and accident-prone roadways in St. George.

Traffic southbound on River Road was slowed as police directed northbound traffic to take a detour via a left turn on Fort Pierce Drive, St. George, Utah, June 21, 2021 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

“Around 5 or 6 o’clock, everyone’s getting off work and traffic is jammed up: there’s quite a few accidents,” Hutchings said. “I just barely got done at a scene on River Road and Brigham Road about 30 minutes ago, and Riverside Road/River Road is one of our main accident-prone intersections.”

One passerby shouted from his vehicle that accidents happen at this intersection “every week.”

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

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

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