Passenger flown to hospital from scene of rollover crash in undeveloped area of Cedar City

Wrecked Chevrolet Suburban at the scene of a rollover crash in an undeveloped area in southwest Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 6, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — A woman was flown to the hospital with serious injuries Saturday afternoon, following a single-vehicle rollover in an undeveloped area in the southwestern part of Cedar City.

Wrecked Chevrolet Suburban at the scene of a rollover crash in an undeveloped area in southwest Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 6, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The crash, which involved an older model Chevrolet Suburban driven by an adult male, occurred on a yet-unnamed dirt and gravel road that is under construction, which extends off South East Canyon Drive, west of Home Depot.

Cedar City Police Sgt. Dustin Orton said the vehicle was heading westbound on the dirt road when it rolled at least once before coming to rest on its wheels off the side of the road.

An adult female passenger, who had been riding in the front seat was extricated from the vehicle and transported via Intermountain Life Flight helicopter to St. George Regional Hospital for treatment. Orton said he didn’t know the extent of her injuries but said they were believed to be serious.

Orton said it was difficult for responders to locate the wreckage at first. The call, which came in shortly before 12:30 p.m., was initially paged as being closer to the Silver Silo restaurant, which is located off Cross Hollow Road some distance to the north.

“Deputy McIntyre with the Iron County Sheriff’s Office found the vehicle first,” Orton said. “We weren’t able to find it from the description given. There were Cedar City officers and an SUU PD officer right behind him that were near the area and got there once he found it. The vehicle was painted camouflage and up against a tree, so it’s a bit difficult to see unless you’re on a high point.”

Even though the area in question is technically within Cedar City limits, there are not yet any homes or other buildings nearby.

“It’s been annexed by the city, but it’s out there in the hills and trees,” Orton said.

Skid marks near a Cedar City Police vehicle show were a Chevrolet Suburban left the road at the scene of a rollover crash in an undeveloped area in southwest Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 6, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

At the scene of the crash a couple hours after it happened, Cedar City Police Cpl. Eric Heaps told Cedar City News the driver appears to have been traveling too fast down a hill, with the vehicle losing control, rolling off the road to the right and uprooting a large tree upon impact.

Despite the heavy damage to the vehicle, neither the driver nor the male passenger who was in the back seat was injured, Heaps said. 

The driver did receive a citation in connection with the crash, Heaps added.

“If you’re recreating, whether it’s in an OHV or a standard motor vehicle, and you have passengers, remember that you’re responsible for the safety of your passengers,” Heaps said. “They don’t have a whole lot they can do to prevent things from happening to them.”

Heaps also offered a reminder for motorists who are involved in a crash to call 911 from the location of the incident, if possible. 

In this case, the driver reportedly called a family member first, who then called 911, Heaps said, who noted that this in turn added to the responders’ confusion, as neither caller was able to provide an accurate description of the crash’s exact location.

“They can pin your location by GPS if you make the call directly with your cell phone,” Heaps added.

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, 2022, all rights reserved.

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