Road rage suspected in I-15 rollover

A passenger car came to rest against a highway sign after being forced off the road Wednesday morning, Washington, Utah, Oct. 7, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

WASHINGTON CITY — A small passenger car was forced off southbound I-15 Wednesday morning, causing the vehicle to rollover and injure the driver.

A passenger car came to rest against a highway sign after being forced off the road Wednesday morning, Washington, Utah, October 7, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
A passenger car came to rest against a highway sign after being forced off the road Wednesday morning, Washington, Utah, Oct. 7, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

Reports started coming in to both the St. George Communications Center and Cedar City dispatch center about 9:50 a.m. of a small car that had rolled just south of the Exit 13 onramp.

When troopers arrived, they found the car up against a sign that had apparently stopped the car from rolling a few more times.

The car had apparently been cut off by a minivan with Montana license plates and rolled due to the violent maneuver, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Matthew Pratt said.

The minivan continued south on the Interstate, finally being stopped in Arizona about five miles from the Nevada border. The driver of the minivan admitted being involved in the incident.

The driver of the car was standing outside his wrecked vehicle when troopers arrived, Pratt said. He was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George for observation of minor injuries.

Pratt said the driver walked to the ambulance.

“The driver wearing his seat belt definitely saved him,” Pratt said. “I gave him a hug, I was so happy that he wore his seat belt. There’s so many times we show up where they haven’t worn their seat belt, it’s so much worse than it needed to be.”

While neither driver was arrested, Pratt said the incident is being investigated as a possible road rage incident.

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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9 Comments

  • debbie October 8, 2015 at 10:08 am

    He is soooooo lucky that it landed at the posts at the axles and not door frame.. this would have had a totally different ending. that car would have been cut in half at the drivers door.. so happy for this guy.

    I have been very mad at other drivers and was not as good as driver when mad. After helping my daughter with an accident assignment a few years back and seeing how easily people are killed (alcohol being the number one factor tho) i decided from then on.. if I found myself mad on the road or if I found myself in a situation where another driver was mad …. to just pull over and give them a rolling arm bow as they drive by.. somehow it makes me feel better that they know that I know they have a me first NEED to carry out.. and a total lack of commitment to road safety.
    There r so many variables that I never knew til that assignment, and I will never look at driving the same again. People have no clue how seriously in danger we are when we are bulliting 65, 75 even 80 mps down the road.. but that people at 35 mph.. just stupid lame things happen. My favorite scarey stat.. there could be a 75 foot wide median or larger on a major interstate.. you could be driving carefully with virtually no traffic around you.. and a car going the other direction a hundred feet away, can blow a tire and in less than 4 or 5 seconds, will come careening into your drivers side door. You actually wouldn’t even see it coming. The weird thing, it happens all the time.

    • fun bag October 8, 2015 at 9:36 pm

      blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and blah blah blah , ok blah blah blah

    • .... October 9, 2015 at 2:29 pm

      Uh. I’m just curious. why you didn’t mention the mouse. LOL.!

  • anybody home October 8, 2015 at 10:14 am

    Utah – Life Elevated. Unless you happen to be on I-15, a city street or in a parking lot.
    Don’t get your knickers in a twist, I know the van had Montana plates. And your point is…?

  • Brian October 8, 2015 at 1:40 pm

    The driver that did the cutting off, and knew he had caused an accident, should be cited, fined, or jailed if appropriate for fleeing the scene of an accident. To know you caused something like that and just keep going is horrible.

    • RealMcCoy October 9, 2015 at 10:38 am

      I saw this van! The jerk was driving erratically between the 2 lanes behind me, and rode my ass for a minute before I could get over and let him speed by me. I distinctly remember the Montana plates, and thinking “that guy is going to cause a wreck”.
      The accident had to have just happened before that though, as I saw him right before exit 10.

  • JOSH DALTON October 8, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    Not posting my comments anymore huh? I guess I’m to real and not ignorant enough for STG news. GO FALCONS!!

  • .... October 8, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    She has no point….. Blah Blah Blah

  • .... October 9, 2015 at 2:20 pm

    You left out 3 blah blah blahs and a BITE ME.. LOL.!

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