Backhoe driver sent to hospital after collision with semi on River Road

ST. GEORGE — St. George Police Department and other emergency personnel responded to a collision on River Road and the offramp of state Route 7 Monday morning involving a backhoe and a semitractor-trailer.

The rim of a backhoe is bent after being hit in a collision on the offramp of SR-7 on River Road, St. George, Utah, Feb. 21, 2021 | Photo by Hollie Stark, St. George News

St. George Police Officer Andy Mickelson said that the driver of the backhoe was exiting SR-7 — the Southern Parkway — at the offramp and came to a stop before attempting to enter the road.

“The driver said he looked both directions but failed to see a semi-truck that was coming under the freeway,” Mickelson said.

The backhoe driver told officers that the sun in his eyes coupled with the shadows of the overpass made it so he did not see the oncoming semi.

“As he started to pull away from the stop sign, the semi-truck came into view but was unable to stop,” Mickelson said, adding that the two vehicles collided in the intersection.

The driver of the backhoe was transported with minor injuries to St. George Regional Hospital via Gold Cross Ambulance. The driver of the semi was uninjured.

Both the backhoe and the semi were disabled.

At the time of this report, citations were pending investigation but Mickelson said a citation for failure to yield at a stop sign will likely be issued.

St. George Fire Department personnel also responded to the scene.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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