Truck driver cited in two-car crash Friday morning on Sunset

St. George Fire Department clears wreckage from roadway while car is loaded onto tow truck after two-vehicle crash on West Sunset Friday morning, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A woman escaped serious injury when her passenger vehicle collided with a double-trailer gravel truck Friday morning, leaving her car badly damaged, traffic snarled for 45 minutes and the truck driver cited for failure to yield.

St. George Fire Department clears wreckage from roadway while car is loaded onto tow truck after two-vehicle crash on West Sunset Friday morning, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

At 7:40 a.m. officers and emergency responders were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash at 1203 W. Sunset Boulevard that involved a burgundy four-door passenger car and a gravel truck pulling double trailers.

Officers found the passenger car in the median facing east, while the gravel truck was stopped in the median several yards away facing west, St. George Police Officer Jamison Hale said.

After speaking to both drivers, officers determined that the gravel truck was pulling out of the stone yard to make a left-hand turn onto West Sunset Boulevard and was struck by the passenger car traveling eastbound in the inside lane.

“The driver said as he was exiting the parking lot he stopped and made sure both directions were clear and then started to pull out onto Sunset,” Hale said.

The driver of the passenger car told police that she saw the truck pull out, Hale said, and started to slow down but thought the truck cleared her lane and was unable to see the second trailer due to the glare of the sun in her eyes.

Once she realized there was a second gravel trailer she slammed on her brakes but was unable to avoid hitting the rear driver-side wheel of the truck, and the impact sent her vehicle spinning in the roadway.

Hale also said the sun’s glare made it difficult for him to see as well while tending to the crash.

Neither driver reported any injuries, and the passenger car sustained extensive damage and was towed from the scene. The gravel truck remained operational with little or no visible damage and was driven from the median.

The driver of the gravel truck was cited for failing to yield when entering or crossing a roadway, the officer said.

Traffic was affected for approximately 45 minutes while responders tended to the scene and cleared the wreckage.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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3 Comments

  • justsaying September 1, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    How does the truck driver deserve a ticket? She crashed into his second trailer, meaning he had plenty of his vehicle already into the lane for her to slow down. I hope he fights the ticket.

    • Mike P. September 2, 2017 at 10:38 am

      Justsaying. Are you kidding ? Pulling out in front of moving traffic and causing an accident doesn’t warrant a ticket? Are you the guy that constantly make left turns in front of people (me!) because you have no depth perception and think “ah, they have plenty of time to stop” ?

  • utahdiablo September 1, 2017 at 11:18 pm

    Yeah, going to call BS on the Gravel truck driver as we have been seeing these damn trucks running into traffic straight out of the Roland Stone yard on Sunset….we were also almost hit by a set of double trailers Thursday afternoon as the guy just shot out of the gravel lot….get on these guys St George PD, and also site them for running these loads uncovered as it kills our windshields and auto paint let alone unsafe driving, but if they hit me, I’ll own Roland Stone

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