T-bone collision between pickup and Prius culminates a slipping and sliding morning on SR-18

Written by Chris Reed
November 9, 2022

ST. GEORGE — A crash described by officers as a T-bone between a pick-up truck and a Prius blocked the southbound lane of state Route 18 where it intersects with West 5745 North and Winchester Hills on Wednesday morning.

St. George firefighters work to extract the driver of a Prius involved in a T-bone collision at the corner of SR-18 and W. 5745 North, St. George, Utah, Nov. 9, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

It took St. George firefighters using the Jaws of Life to extricate both the male driver and sole passenger of the white Prius. 

It was the worst incident in what were several on SR-18 in the rainy weather and slick roads Wednesday morning. As the second of two Gold Cross ambulances headed from the main portion of St. George to get to the scene, it passed two more minor incidents 5 and 3 miles before Winchester Hills.

“Oh yeah, it’s been busy,” Washington County Sheriff Deputy Brad Coleman said.

With the Utah Highway Patrol handling the two other incidents, the sheriff and St. George Police officers handled the scene with the sheriff taking the lead. 

Coleman said the incident that occurred around 10:15 a.m. was still under investigation, but it was “definitely” a T-bone collision where an older model, white and blue Chevy Silverado pickup hit the driver’s side of the Prius as it was coming out from Winchester Hills on 5745 North to turn onto SR-18. The front of the pickup and the driver’s side of the Prius were crushed.

Scene after a T-bone collision between a Prius and pickup truck at the corner of SR-18 and W. 5745 North, St. George, Utah, Nov. 9, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

The traffic disruption was minimal, as officers were able to guide both southbound and northbound traffic through. It took about an hour to clear the scene as both vehicles were towed away. 

After being extracted, the driver of the Prius was in a neck brace but moving his arms as he was loaded onto the ambulance for transport to the hospital. 

“He was refusing transport at first but they took him anyway,” Coleman said. 

The second ambulance proved not to be needed as the sole passenger and driver, an older man, of the pickup was shaken, but uninjured. 

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Reed serves as an editor and reporter for St. George News, where has been honored with several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work, including first-place accolades. He started his journalism career as a sports reporter and editor in Southern California where he once compared shoe sizes with Shaquille O'Neal and exchanged mix tapes with members of the Los Angeles Kings. After growing up in the San Fernando Valley learning karate skills from Mr. Miyagi and spending a decade in Las Vegas mostly avoiding the casinos, he came to St. George for love and married his soulmate, a lifetime Southern Utah resident. He is the proud father of two boys, his youngest a champion against both autism and Type 1 diabetes.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

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