UPDATED: Police release name of man who died following rollover in Cedar City

Written by Jeff Richards
April 4, 2022
Scene of a fatal rollover crash near 2000 N. Bauer Road, Cedar City, Utah, April 4, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

ST. GEORGE — A driver was killed in a single-vehicle rollover in Cedar City on Monday morning. Cedar City Police released the driver’s name Wednesday morning.

Scene of a fatal rollover crash near 2000 N. Bauer Road, Cedar City, Utah, April 4, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The incident, which involved a white Honda Civic, reportedly occurred near 2000 N. Bauer Road (2300 West), shortly before 6:30 a.m.

Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock said the driver had been traveling east on 1600 North and had just made the turn where Bauer Road becomes 2300 West.

“It appears the vehicle left the roadway at the turn, probably going too fast, overcorrected and rolled,” Pollock told Cedar City News at the scene.

The vehicle came to rest upside down alongside a dirt berm on the west side of 2300 West.

An Iron County Sheriff’s deputy arrived on scene shortly after the crash and attempted to help the driver, Pollock said.

The man had reportedly attempted to exit the vehicle following the crash but lost consciousness.

“Lifesaving measures were applied but the victim succumbed to his injuries,” he added.

Scene of a fatal rollover crash near 2000 N. Bauer Road, Cedar City, Utah, April 4, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The driver was described as being a 66-year-old man and a resident of Cedar City. His name, Kenneth Elze, was released by police Wednesday morning.

“The Cedar City Police Department would like to extend its sympathies to the victim’s family for their loss,” stated a news release issued later Monday morning.

The news release added that the investigation is ongoing and that more information would be released as it becomes available.  

Bauer Road between 1600 North and 2200 North was closed to through traffic for a little more than two hours while the scene was investigated and cleared.

In addition to multiple Cedar City Police officers, Utah Highway Patrol troopers and Gold Cross Ambulance personnel also responded to the incident.

The wrecked Honda was subsequently towed from the scene.

The incident marked the second crash near that same location within approximately 24 hours. Early Sunday morning, a driver reportedly fell asleep and struck multiple “sharp turn” arrow signs along the edge of the roadway at the curve, knocking them down. There were no injuries reported in that crash, according to Cedar City Police.

The location of Monday’s crash is also close to the spot where an Iron County Sheriff’s deputy was killed in a rollover nearly 20 years ago. Edward Dare, 57, was responding to a call on the morning of Sept. 24, 2002 when his vehicle went off the road at the curve, rolled and landed in a nearby dry irrigation ditch, according to his memorial page at utahsfallen.org.

Updated April 6, 10:48 a.m., The story has been updated to include the name of the man who died in the crash on Monday.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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