WASHINGTON COUNTY — An unsafe U-turn on state Route 9 near Interstate 15 resulted in a vehicle collision that sent two people on a trip to the hospital Wednesday night.
Around 9:30 p.m., the Utah Highway Patrol and other agencies were alerted to a two-vehicle collision on SR-9 between exit 16 of I-15 and Coral Canyon Boulevard, UHP Trooper Joe Pastor said.
The accident occurred when a Ford Taurus, which appeared to be stopped on the right shoulder of the westbound travel lanes on SR-9, attempted a U-turn. While doing so, it collided with a Toyota SUV in the left westbound lane, Pastor said.
The driver of the SUV told the UHP officer that just before the accident he had thought the car on the side of the road was stopped, so he simply kept going until the Ford Taurus turned out in front of him, Pastor said.
The impact sent the SUV across the eastbound lanes of travel where it came to a stop. The Ford Taurus came to a stop in the left westbound lane.
Units from the UHP, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Hurricane Valley Fire and Ambulance responded to the scene.
The occupants of the SUV, the driver and four others, were unharmed, Pastor said. The occupants of the Ford Taurus however — the driver and a passenger — were taken by ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center with injuries. The extent of the injuries was not known at the time, Pastor said.
Though the accident was still under investigation, Pastor said it was likely that a citation would be issued for the unsafe U-turn.
Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene. A portion of the left westbound travel lane was shut down as responders tended to the scene, which was cleared shortly after 10 p.m.
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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A U-turn attempt on state Route 9 resulted in a Ford Taurus and Toyota SUV colliding in the westbound lanes near I-15 exit 16. The occupants of the Ford Taurus — the driver and a passenger — were taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center with injuries, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper said, Washington County, Utah, Jan. 6, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A U-turn attempt on state Route 9 resulted in a Ford Taurus and Toyota SUV colliding in the westbound lanes near I-15 exit 16. The occupants of the Ford Taurus — the driver and a passenger — were taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center with injuries, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper said, Washington County, Utah, Jan. 6, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A U-turn attempt on state Route 9 resulted in a Ford Taurus and Toyota SUV colliding in the westbound lanes near I-15 exit 16. The occupants of the Ford Taurus — the driver and a passenger — were taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center with injuries, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper said, Washington County, Utah, Jan. 6, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A U-turn attempt on state Route 9 resulted in a Ford Taurus and Toyota SUV colliding in the westbound lanes near I-15 exit 16. The occupants of the Ford Taurus — the driver and a passenger — were taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center with injuries, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper said, Washington County, Utah, Jan. 6, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
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