News LIVE: Bicyclist killed by vehicle hit-and-run; part of Old Highway 91 closed; UPDATED 11:20 a.m.

Old Highway 91, closed off for about a 1.5-mile stretch from 400 South to the Kayenta turnoff as emergency responders and accident investigators address an accident involving a fatality near the Kayenta community of Ivins, Utah, Oct. 21, 2014 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

NEWS LIVE: This report contains news live as it develops and is being  updated continuously. Bookmark and refresh the page periodically for updates. Last update: 11:20 a.m. Wednesday – police advise times of dispatch and arrival on scene.

IVINS – A bicyclist was killed Tuesday night by an apparent hit-and-run on Old Highway 91 near the Kayenta community of Ivins.

“What we have appears to be a hit and run,” Holt said. “A bicyclist was struck by a vehicle, but we don’t have any other information right now.”

Emergency responders closed off Old Highway 91 between W. 400 South and Kayenta Parkway in Ivins for an indefinite period of time Tuesday night to address and investigate the scene of a fatal accident that occurred sometime around 7:30-7:45 p.m. Tuesday.

A passerby saw the victim, an adult male who was dead on scene, lying on the road and contacted the police, Holt said.

Santa Clara-Ivins City Police are in the process of contacting the man’s next of kin. No description of the vehicle has been determined, Holt said, but police are seeking help from the public.

Ivins Resident Beau Davis told St. George News that he was returning from deer hunting near Cedar City, with his wife and baby, and was among the first people on scene.

As he came down the hill toward Kayenta, Davis said, he saw a car with its flashers on parked off the right side of the road and he also saw something in the middle of the road that at first he mistook for a deer. But then, he said, a car driving toward him hit the object causing it to fly into the air, at which point it looked like a bike or a chair.

“It didn’t really look like a bike,” he said. “I couldn’t really tell what it was because there were pieces all over the road.”

The man with the car with flashing lights waved his arms to stop both Davis and the other car that had hit the bike-type object. At that moment, Davis pulled his truck over and got out to help, he said. 

The man from the car with the flashing lights said he had been traveling west from Ivins and saw a man in the road and had pulled over and called 911, Davis said.

Davis and the man who had flagged him down along with the driver of the vehicle that had hit the bike-type object checked the man in the road, he said, who appeared to have been hit more than once.

“Me and this guy, I never got his name, checked the neck and wrist for a pulse and it was very faint.”

Within 10-15 minutes of when he stopped, Davis said, traffic was building up heading toward Ivins.

“I jumped up to get traffic stopped and started telling people to go through Kayenta,” he said. “These people were coming over the hill at 50 miles per hour and 20 to 30 minutes later the cops were there.” 

On Wednesday, verifying actual police response time, Holt said that Santa Clara-Ivins City Police were dispatched at 19:48:03, or 7:48 p.m., and arrived on scene at 19:50:20, or 7:50 p.m., about two minutes from receiving the call.

Davis said he had to turn 60 cars around toward Kayenta, within 15 minutes of being on scene, as hunters were returning from the deer hunt just after dark.

“It was that time of night during the deer hunt and that road was real busy,” he said. “Who knows what happened.”

Police ask public for help

“We are just asking citizens to look for any vehicles with front-end damage that looks fresh,” Holt said; “if they see some vehicle drive around late at night with headlights out or front-end damage to contact police – anyone that has information we ask them to contact the police as well.”

Anyone with information may telephone 911 or call Santa Clara-Ivins Police tip line: Telephone 435-673-8488 or Email [email protected].

Detours

Highway 91 remains blocked off during the reconstruction of the incident and Utah Highway Patrol was called in Tuesday evening to assist in the incident.

Motorists coming from the Arizona side toward Ivins and Santa Clara will detour at the Kayenta Parkway turnoff; those traveling from the Santa Clara-Ivins side will detour at W. 400 South.

This is a developing report based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders on scene and may not contain the full scope of findings. Refresh page for updates which will be posted as information is obtained.

Update Oct. 22, 11:20 a.m.

As of Wednesday morning, police have a suspect in custody and a vehicle has been impounded, Holt said. This is a developing investigation.

The times of police dispatch and arrival on scene were also confirmed by Holt, as added to the report above.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery. 

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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51 Comments

  • real life October 21, 2014 at 10:14 pm

    Horrible. Saw the life flight heading that way. Hope they catch the person responsible.

  • DAVE RABBITT October 21, 2014 at 10:15 pm

    This is terrible news! I hope that they are able to find who did this!

  • beau davis October 21, 2014 at 10:18 pm

    I just want to say that I hope they find who or what happened. Myself and another man were the first to check for a pulse while another man called 911 and tried to stop traffic. Our lives stopped for a moment. I hope we can get some answers and a piece of understanding of what really happened! Thank you St. G news for being so quick to cover stories.

    • Sierra bushman October 22, 2014 at 10:31 am

      Thank you for everything!!!! We appreciate it!

    • Katie P October 24, 2014 at 1:21 pm

      I wanted to say Thank You to you and the others that stop and did what you could do for my Uncle! He was a man that always helped anyone he meant. He will be greatly missed by many. Thank You very much for stopping!

      Sincerely
      Katie P

  • anon October 21, 2014 at 11:08 pm

    NOT A GOOD IDEA TO RIDE A BIKE ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT…

    • karisa vaughn October 22, 2014 at 8:04 am

      Your comment has me wondering if you knew him, he LOVED Kool-Aid! God Bless

  • anon October 21, 2014 at 11:09 pm

    OR AT ANY TIME, REALLY.

  • The Rest Of The Story October 21, 2014 at 11:56 pm

    This is all part of Heavenly Father’s plan. Heavenly Father allowed this to happen because He is so loving. We must remember this.
    Pass the kool-aid.

    • SWUTAH October 22, 2014 at 1:20 pm

      Knock it off, a family lost someone and you’re trying to subvert us all to an unwarranted and disrespectful quarrel about religious beliefs.

    • Robb Willie October 23, 2014 at 12:07 pm

      You’re a real pig, Buddy. Have some respect for the deceased’s family.

  • Jake brink October 22, 2014 at 12:04 am

    That’s why they built those bike paths I live in winchester and there is a path twenty feet off the road but they still ride on the highway I have seen so many people almost wreck to avoid hitting them they should, they should ride on the bike paths especially at night things like this may be avoidable if people were to consider taking the safer and smarter option the paths where built to avoid this I am sorry for the family’s loss

    • Teri October 22, 2014 at 8:12 am

      Yes there are paths …. Usually covered in debris, weeds with stickers, walkers runners ect. Bikes have as much right to be on the road (shoulder of not middle of) as a motorized vehicle. Everybody just needs to pay attention to their surroundings. Tragic loss of life here let’s focus on that not on where someone should or shouldn’t ride.

    • Hunter October 22, 2014 at 9:31 am

      Jake, in concept you’re right. The bike paths would provide a much safer option. In practice it’s a whole different story. Those paths are often used for walking and running, creating a hazard for everyone if you’re out for more than a leisurely ride. The paths are also not a priority when it comes to keeping things clean so there is often debris, rocks, etc. on them. Also, the paths don’t follow the roads very closely, and with regard to the paths along Rte 18, unless you hankering for some serious interval hills training, you’re probably going to choose the much more even keeled road. The paths are great for taking the family or your kids out for a ride, but if you’re training for a long distance road race, they aren’t much use. And in this case, there is no path option in the area where the accident occurred.

    • Rob G. October 22, 2014 at 10:19 am

      This is an ignorant comment, Jake. No experienced cyclists ride the trail adjacent to highway 18 because the trail does not follow the contour of the road. It has steep uphill and downhill sections, which are far more dangerous than riding on the road. Imagine a cyclist riding at 40 mph cresting one of the blind hill tops on the trail and a mother with her small children walking on the other side. An accident will occur. Unfortunately, if cyclists would ride that particular trail in the numbers that they ride highway 18, such accidents would happen on a daily or weekly basis. Furthermore, runners training for the marathon avoid that trail for the same reason: the extreme contour. The city/county has been asked to repair the trail, making it the same profile as the highway, but to date they have refused, stating too high of costs. Maybe as more accidents happen, they will reconsider. In the mean time, as you see cyclists and runners on the highway, slow down and wave. The economic impact of these visitors and locals puts a lot of money in all of our pockets.

  • Allie October 22, 2014 at 2:50 am

    Very sorry for the persons family. Did it really take 20-30 minutes for the police to arrive after calling 911 or did it just seem that long?

    • Bethany Davis October 22, 2014 at 7:46 pm

      No. My husband’s quote on time was a little misunderstood. He meant that the traffic had been cleared and the cops had established a road block in under 20 min. The response time was impressive. The first responders gave every chance of life they could and no one else was hurt, even though it was very dark on a steep hill in a 50 mph.

  • My Evil Twin October 22, 2014 at 6:40 am

    I have the right to ride my bike anytime and anywhere I choose! It is my RIGHT, I tell you. No matter how stupid or dangerous it is. Geeze, I get sick of seeing this crap. Bicyclists, go ahead and enjoy your “rights,” just don’t whine when you end up dead because of your stupidity. Don’t worry about your family and loved ones who are left behind, because you have the RIGHT to do what you want.

    • Dingus October 22, 2014 at 8:57 am

      Riding a bike isnt stupid or dangerous, people are, and people who drive without being aware of flashing bicycle lights is the issue here, not the bicycle. So glad I moved out of Southern Utah and away from all the backwards assed people like you who are okay with people being killed in the street by irresponsible motorists, I hope you get stomach cancer you piece of garbage

    • Cyclist October 22, 2014 at 9:03 am

      If a cyclist ends up injured or worse it is almost always a drivers fault! Bikes are legally considered vehicles. You wouldn’t just run into a car because it was “in your way” so why do you think it’s okay to do that to a bicycle? It’s cruel, selfish people like you that make me fear for the future of our world.

    • Alice October 22, 2014 at 9:28 am

      AMEN!

    • Hunter October 22, 2014 at 9:34 am

      How was this rider being stupid? Do you know some intimate details that the rest of us don’t? What if it was a drunk or distracted driver who did this; do you still think it’s the cyclist’s fault for being stupid enough to be out riding? Should we all avoid riding on roads simply because other people make poor choices? Nice victim blaming.

      • Kool-Aid October 22, 2014 at 2:17 pm

        If you don’t like it here get … out! Take the bikes and runners and go to moab!

    • Roger October 22, 2014 at 9:55 am

      The same could be said for those drivers of vehicles that don’t watch out for bikes and pedestrians. If the person who hit this guy is found they could be in serious trouble, and possibly be leaving his/her family behind for a prison sentence. You don’t have right as a vehicle driver to own the road, speed, or be distracted. That is the real problem here, drivers that don’t respect anyone but themselves or any laws but their own.

  • Koolaid October 22, 2014 at 8:30 am

    With those obnoxious, aggressive Dixie rednecks in their black smoke belching monster trucks pulling a big trailer of 4-wheelers and speeding down this narrow road, I’d question why any bicyclist would want to ride this stretch of road.

  • Fan of 14 October 22, 2014 at 9:09 am

    This highway is a two lane with the sides washed out in the last 2 storms we had, right there at mile marker 20. It is scary driving it during the day with the bicyclist, much less at night. Prayers to this person’s family. No matter the situation, it is a sad, sad tragedy.

  • tc rider October 22, 2014 at 9:29 am

    I ride my bike on sidewalks all the time because of two close calls of vehicles swerving accross bike lanes and one time vehicle hit curb right behind me and missed by inchess.
    Both incidents people were on cell phones and Alot of people driving around here must have very important bussiness to attend to, if they have to talk on phones while they drive.
    Unti law enforcment or some new technology comes out that will jam cell phone signals in cars, I will continue to ride my bikes on the sidewalks.

  • Trish October 22, 2014 at 9:46 am

    A man is dead tonight…a family, possible a wife and children mourn a great loss. A little RESPECT and EMPATHY would be nice to see for a change instead of all the snarky, mean-spirited remarks

  • Sierra bushman October 22, 2014 at 10:27 am

    To everyone who has negative … to say can go … yourself. This is my siblings father and youre all low and selfish. He always rides in the road, he is disabled from the legs down, he rode that wheelchair/bike since he was big eenough to ride it. There is no excuse. You always watch for ANYTHING in the road!!!!!!!!!!! Shame on all who are being negative about where he rode.

    • sagemoon October 22, 2014 at 1:05 pm

      It sounds like an awful accident. I wish his family and friends peace.

    • steph October 23, 2014 at 10:18 pm

      I am so sorry for the families loss. This is so sad. I also wish i could apologize for some of the ignorant, and rude remarks. This was a loved one. Regardless of circumstances, that’s what matters is that he’ll be missed by loved ones. Hoping the family finds love and peace during such a tragic time.

  • Sierra bushman October 22, 2014 at 10:55 am

    Also, his wheelchair had a 5 foot flag on it and was always very well lit up, specifically for drivers.

  • Sweet Jude October 22, 2014 at 2:21 pm

    The article says that the hit-and-run man who hit the bicyclist had gotten out of his car and checked the pulse of the bicyclist, who was hit, along with the two other men. But this makes no sense because at the end, it states the police are looking for the hit-and-run guy. If he stopped, why wasn’t he apprehended right then and there? Unbelievable how some articles are written. Holly, maybe you could do a little revising to make the story clear-er.

    • Avatar photo Joyce Kuzmanic October 22, 2014 at 5:36 pm

      Sweet Jude, Davis said that the driver of the car that hit the bike (or objects of it in the road after the hit-and-run had occurred) along with the man who had flagged them down got out and then checked on the man.
      I hope that helps,
      ST. GEORGE NEWS | STGnews.com
      Joyce Kuzmanic
      Editor in Chief

  • Missy October 22, 2014 at 3:30 pm

    My thoughts, prayers, hugs and love to his family. I’m truly sorry for the many comments you’ve had to read.

  • Neighbor October 22, 2014 at 3:57 pm

    The sun is often in our eyes that time of day, and I see a hill was mentioned…how about a little love for all involved here, neighbors….

  • Hippononomous October 22, 2014 at 7:00 pm

    Saw a cyclist today going with traffic. All was good. He was infront of me. The line of cars infront of him, him, and I come to a stop light with construction work on the right. He goes to the far right, behind the construction orange barrel things, to get ahead of the cars that are stopped. The light turns green and he merges back into the right lane and almost gets hit by a car. Share the road they say. I wish more cyclists like him were get run over more.

    • Hippononomous October 22, 2014 at 7:01 pm

      *would not were

  • My Evil Twin October 22, 2014 at 7:58 pm

    Say what you want, feel how you will, I really don’t care. But the fact remains that when a bicyclist places himself or herself in jeopardy, they have no one to blame but themselves. Car VS bike, biker is going to lose every time. It makes no difference to you when you are dead, as to whether you are “right” or “wrong” or whether the other driver was “right” or “wrong.”
    As to Dingus, I’m truly happy that you have left the area. Now why don’t you take a whole bunch of your idiot friends with you! Oh yeah, thanks for the good wishes with stomach cancer. You really are quite a piece of work, aren’t you. . .

    • The Rest Of The Story October 22, 2014 at 11:11 pm

      No matter what it says in your handbook, in real life the biggest vehicle always has the right of way.

      • driver October 23, 2014 at 11:03 am

        Tell that to the truck drivers who blow through red lights and end up incarcerated for the carnage resulting from such an action.

        • The Rest Of The Story October 23, 2014 at 7:03 pm

          Bottom line: CYA

  • karisa vaughn October 22, 2014 at 8:53 pm

    The victim was my roommate, he was not riding a normal bike. He was riding a hand crank trike, he lost the use of his legs to Polio when he was young. He was training to participate in a marathon and had made it there from Hurricane earlier that day. Friends and family worried about him riding his trike on the side of the highway but he was determined to “ride”.

  • PROTECT THE SHEEP October 22, 2014 at 10:06 pm

    I’m eating animal crackers

  • Koolaid October 23, 2014 at 11:26 am

    No update on the person of suspicion? Unable to confirm the driver/vehicle that struck and killed the cyclist? Why’d he (she) run from the scene? That’s what I want to know.

    • Avatar photo Joyce Kuzmanic October 23, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      And you will know, when we have authoritative word on those questions, Kool. 😀
      JK
      EIC

  • fromgunlock October 23, 2014 at 11:43 am

    I saw this man on the Gunlock road that evening he was riding as far off the road as he could have, he also gave me a nod and a smile , I waved back. I will see his smile for along time to come .That road was not a good place for anyone that evening. To his family take care

  • M and M cookies October 23, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    Those special bikes, hand rank are low, wonder if he had a red flag showing to indicate he was in the road….so many people ride rte 91. . It is so dangerouse, the Road is rough in spots, and if you have to pull over for the. Bike rider, sometimes cara or trucks are coming towards you.. Sometimes 2drivers ride side. Y side and it’s harder to pass.. People practice on this road all the time for competition.. Be careful..

  • me October 23, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    I saw him leaving the gas station when I pulled in around 730 I ran in grabbed smokes and left when I got back on the highway heading back to Santa Clara I passed him he was riding on the dirt giving plenty of room between hm and the road he was just barely passed the gas station when I passed him what a terrible tragedy my dearest sympathy to his family and loved ones and may God help bring comfort and peace during this difficult time

  • Koolaid October 24, 2014 at 3:50 pm

    Does the “D” stand for Drunk Deer Hunters?

  • bush October 26, 2014 at 12:10 pm

    yes had a 5 foot flag lights and every thing this was … leave a person dying
    Ed. ellipsis.

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