Lightning gazing leads to rollover

ST. GEORGE – Being distracted by lightning strikes is what police believe was the cause of a vehicle rollover on River Road in St. George Friday evening.

Police say the driver of the car was distracted by watching lightning, causing him to drift off the road and roll the car. The driver and passenger in the car – both juveniles – wearing wearing their seat belts and received only a few bumps and bruises, St. George Police Sgt. Dave Williams said, St. George, Utah, Aug. 14, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Police say the driver of the car was distracted by watching lightning, and the car drifted off the road and rolled. The driver and passenger in the car – both juveniles – were wearing their seat belts and received only a few bumps and bruises, St. George, Utah, Aug. 14, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Around 6:10 p.m., police and other emergency responders were dispatched to the area of 6652 S. River Road, south of the Family Dollar Distribution Center in the Fort Pierce Industrial Park, where a passenger car occupied by two juveniles had rolled.

“The juvenile driver – something drew his attention away (from the road),” St. George Police Sgt. Dave Williams said. “They were looking at the lightning, drifted off the road and they over-corrected and rolled in the loose gravel.”

The car rolled and landed on its tires just off the roadway. Both juveniles, the driver and a passenger, were wearing their seat belts and experienced only minor bumps and bruises, Williams said.

Multiple lightning strikes were witnessed in the area, and the rain was intermittent as responders tended to the scene.

The juveniles were medically checked by Gold Cross Ambulance responders at the scene and were taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center by their parents, Williams said.

The crash rendered the car inoperable, and it had to be towed from the scene.

The accident itself is still under investigation, Williams said, so it remains to be seen whether a citation will be issued.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

 

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7 Comments

  • beentheredonethat August 14, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    Ride the lightning was a cd by Metallica. This is a case of infringment. Charge them for that. Dang teenagers!

  • 42214 August 14, 2015 at 11:25 pm

    Worst drivers in the world, So Utah.

    • holger August 15, 2015 at 10:52 am

      Umm, nope. Was that just hyperbole or your bias showing? Having lived and worked on four separate continents, I disagree. My opinion is backed up by data: http://vehicle-fatalities.findthedata.com/. Is yours?

      • anybody home August 15, 2015 at 6:20 pm

        Holger, your data is about traffic deaths. 42214 and I agree that in southern Utah, it’s just plain bad driving. I’ve lived all over this country and have never seen anything like what happens around St. George – just plain bad driving, distractions, speed, whatever. Fatalities are not the measure. Injuries and demolished vehicles say a whole lot more.

  • Cuberantcamper August 15, 2015 at 10:13 am

    This is the land of the moving road block (two drivers seemingly stuck together). The blockers are oblivious to the 25 or so cars behind them.

  • Dexter August 15, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    Ohhhhh duhhh look at the purdy light.! LOL.!

  • Dexter August 15, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    LOL.! REAL LIFE VILLAGE IDIOT should be along soon to leave a commentary obout my posts LOL.!… That’s what his life has come down to LOL.! …. shut up stupid.!

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