WASHINGTON CITY — A woman attempting to turn left into heavy congestion on 3050 East in Washington City Thursday ended up in a crash that blocked traffic and heavily damaged two cars.
The woman driving a Hyundai sedan was trying to turn left out of the parking lot near IHOP and Home Depot shortly after 4 p.m., when cars on 3050 East stopped so she could turn, said Ed Kantor, public information officer for the Washington City Police Department. A Hyundai Santa Fe traveling north on 3050 East didn’t see the other vehicles stopping because of all the traffic and rammed into the woman’s sedan, he said.
“That area is so bad for congestion and people trying to turn left out of those parking lots,” Ed Kantor said. “Some people try to be courteous and slow down to let people turn left, but that can cause additional hazards because other cars may not stop.”
The man driving the Hyundai Santa Fe was cited for improper lane travel. Both cars needed to be towed from the scene. (See Ed. Note)
“Drivers need to remember to be cautious when turning left on congested roads like that,” Kantor said.
Washington City Fire Department also responded to the scene.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Ed. Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the person who received the citation.
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Twitter: @SpencerRicks | @STGnews
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The SG News has done a diligent job of covering auto accidents over the few years I have been here. It has caused my family to be especially cautious when driving around town, including avoiding certain intersections at certain times of day, if possible.
Our insurance rates are influenced by these events, including the uninsured motorist premiums.
It seems like a collaboration between the SG News and local law enforcement, creating heat maps of these accident events, to raise awareness, would be in the spirit of community service. The publication has to be beyond just readers of this online newspaper, and could even reach out to local high schools and colleges. Who knows, maybe when the data becomes more understandable to the average person, we might see a heightened level of defensive driving……
Caveat_Emptor, thank you for this great comment. Personally, I completely agree our coverage has made me a more cautious driver, not only in St. George, but also on I-15 (especially through the Virgin River Gorge). Along the lines of insurance, you might find this article from St. George News reporter Cody Blowers pretty illuminating:
http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2016/11/03/cgb-st-george-crashes-costs-insurance-and-otherwise-on-the-rise/
As to locating the trouble spots, some of our reports have mentioned when a certain area is especially bad, but we will take into consideration your suggestions about a specific report as we continue to gather more information of the hot spots. And I agree it would be good to disseminate that information beyond the online publication into schools and universities.
Thanks again. Have a good (and safe) weekend.
Paul Dail
ST. GEORGE NEWS
Editor, Reporter
Mr Ricks, if I comment on this story are you going to edit or change it afterwards?
The fact that one is taught in drivers ed that you CAN do something doesn’t mean you HAVE to. This applies to everywhere, not just St George. As for our town, I’ll never make a ‘hard’ left turn (aka crossing both directions of traffic) across St George Blvd or Bluff between 100 South and Sunset (especially now). I’d rather make three right turns and get onto the aformentioned boulevards at a traffic signal. I normally don’t have to go to that extreme but you get the idea.