CEDAR CITY — Two drivers were arrested in Cedar City following a pair of unrelated rear-end collisions about 45 minutes apart late Saturday night.

The first crash happened at approximately 11 p.m. on northbound Interstate 15 near mile marker 64, just north of Cedar City. It involved a red 2019 Subaru Outback SUV and a green Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck pulling a horse trailer.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Bambi Baie said the Subaru suddenly came up behind the other vehicle, which was traveling in the left lane.

“For some reason, it just drove into the back of the horse trailer,” Baie told Cedar City News. “He just came up, hit her (vehicle) and then rolled.”

The Chevrolet pickup, which had Washington license plates, was occupied by three teenage girls between the ages of 16-18, Baie said. They were reportedly part of a group that was on their way home from attending a rodeo or other livestock event in Cedar City.

“All the young ladies were wearing their seat belts and did not sustain any injures,” Baie said, adding that the horses in the trailer were also uninjured.

Meanwhile, the driver of the Subaru was also unhurt. Troopers administered a field sobriety test at the scene before placing the man in handcuffs and transporting him to Iron County Jail in Cedar City.

The jail’s website indicates that Dean O’Neill was booked at 1:45 a.m. Sunday on suspicion of one count of DUI and one count of unsafe lane travel.

“We’re investigating the DUI aspect, which is probably related to why he wasn’t able to safely operate a vehicle,” Baie said.

Both vehicles, in addition to the horse trailer, sustained heavy damage and needed to be towed. Northbound I-15 traffic was impacted for approximately one hour with single lane closures while the scene was investigated and cleared

The second crash, which was reported to emergency dispatchers at 11:43 p.m., happened in Cedar City on 300 West near the Southern Utah University campus. It involved a white Chevrolet compact car and a silver Hyundai sedan.

Cedar City Police officer Tyrell Crofts said both cars had been heading north on 300 West when the Hyundai driver attempted to make a right turn into the parking lot of the SUU Police Department building.

“The white Chevy rear-ended them at a pretty high rate of speed, judging from the damage,” Crofts said.

A witness at the scene reported that the Chevrolet driver appeared to have been aggressively following the other car prior to the crash.

After the collision, the driver of the Chevrolet got out of the wrecked car and fled the scene on foot. Officers apprehended him shortly thereafter a couple blocks away.

Quentin Redshirt was subsequently booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of DUI, aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident involving injury and speeding.

The man who was driving Hyundai wasn’t injured, although his female passenger reportedly sustained a minor facial laceration.

Both cars were heavily damaged and were towed from the scene.

This report is based on statements from law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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