Tire blowout causes rollover on I-15

ST. GEORGE — Southbound traffic on Interstate 15 slowed to a crawl Monday just south of Exit 10 following a rollover.

A jeep rolled on southbound I-15 after a tire blew out. The driver, the only occupant of the jeep, was wearing a seat belt and escaped injury, St. George, Utah, Oct. 12, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A Geo Tracker rolled on southbound I-15 after a tire blew out. The driver, the only occupant of the vehicle, was wearing a seat belt and escaped injury, St. George, Utah, Oct. 12, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Around 12:30 p.m., a tire on a Geo Tracker blew out and caused it to roll off the roadway. The Utah Highway Patrol was quickly dispatched to the scene and was joined by personnel from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Department of Transportation.

“Upon inspection by myself and others on scene,” UHP Trooper Matthew Pratt said, “(we) noticed the tires were extremely bald and extremely sun-baked and cracked.”

The wear on the tires is what caused the blowout and triggered the roll, Pratt said.

Traffic on southbound I-15 slowed for at least 10-20 minutes for about half a mile, starting around Exit 10 as responders tended to the situation. The intersection of Red Hills Parkway and Green Springs Drive also became congested with motorists hoping to avoid the slowed highway traffic.

The driver of the Geo Tracker, an adult male, was wearing his seat belt and came out of the crash uninjured, Pratt said.

The driver was cited for driving on unsafe tires, and the Geo Tracker had to be towed from the scene.

No other vehicles or people were involved in the 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.

Ed. Note: The make of the vehicle has been corrected.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

 

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4 Comments

  • DB October 12, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    1) Glad the driver is OK. 2) Is that what passes for a Jeep nowadays?

  • fun bag October 12, 2015 at 3:48 pm

    tire blowout because speed was to low. increase speed limit to 95 = no more wrecks ever.

  • Missy October 12, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    When it grows up, it might be a rockcrawler.

  • Mean Momma October 13, 2015 at 1:06 pm

    I got caught in that mess yesterday and missed part of my precious nap time! Don’t drive on bald tires people! You aren’t just affecting yourselves!

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