CEDAR CITY — One driver was seriously injured Tuesday night in a rollover crash on Interstate 15 in Cedar City.
The incident, which involved two pickup trucks, occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. on southbound I-15 near mile marker 61.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Randy Riches said both trucks were southbound, a Toyota pickup in the left lane and a Ford pickup in the right lane.
“For some reason, they made contact with each other in a sideswipe-style collision,” Riches told Cedar City News. “The Toyota was forced off the roadway to the left and rolled over, pinning the sole male occupant inside.”
Responding firefighters were able to extricate the Toyota driver from his vehicle, which had come to rest upside down in the center median.
“He sustained significant injuries but not life-threatening,” Riches said, adding that the man was taken to a hospital by ground ambulance. He is believed to have been wearing his seat belt, Riches added.
Meanwhile, the two occupants of the Ford pickup were not injured. They stopped and remained at the scene.
Responding were emergency personnel from multiple agencies, including Utah Highway Patrol, Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar City Police, Cedar City Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance.
“We had multiple reports that the injuries were much more significant,” Riches said. “That there were ejections and stuff like that, which didn’t end up being the case. So that’s why there was such a big response.”
Riches said investigators are still looking into which of the drivers may have been at fault.
“That’s part of the ongoing investigation right now,” he said. “We’ve got some conflicting information as to exactly why the sideswipe collision happened.”
Traffic was moderately impacted with single-lane closures in both directions for nearly an hour while the scene was cleared.
This report is based on preliminary statements from law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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