LEEDS – A driver who was not wearing a seat belt received head injuries after his car crashed into the back of a semitractor-trailer on Interstate 15 approximately 8:25 p.m. Monday.
Utah Highway Patrol troopers responding to the collision found a white Pontiac passenger car with its airbags deployed and much of its front end jammed underneath the semi’s trailer.
The driver, an adult male, sustained injuries to his head and complained of chest pains, UHP Trooper Grant Hintze said. The crash occurred 1 mile south of Leeds in the area of mile post 21 in the northbound lanes of I-15 .
The driver was conscious, alert and communicating with troopers and other emergency personnel that responded to the scene. He was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George by Leeds Area Fire and Rescue.
The driver of the semi was not harmed in the incident. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation, Hintze said.
At its most basic, the crash could be a failure to yield issue, Hintze said, although any number of factors could have contributed to the incident, including possibly driving under the influence or distracted driving.
“He did mention something about looking down at his cellphone,” Hintze said.
The No. 3 lane — the far right lane reserved for slower vehicles — of northbound I-15 around the crash site was blocked by troopers as emergency crews worked to clear the scene.
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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The Utah Highway Patrol responded to an accident on northbound I-15 that resulted in a passenger car wedged under a semitractor-trailer, Leeds, Utah, Feb. 22, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The Utah Highway Patrol responded to an accident on northbound I-15 that resulted in a passenger car wedged under a semitractor-trailer, Leeds, Utah, Feb. 22, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The Utah Highway Patrol responded to an accident on northbound I-15 that resulted in a passenger car wedged under a semitractor-trailer, Leeds, Utah, Feb. 22, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The Utah Highway Patrol responded to an accident on northbound I-15 that resulted in a passenger car wedged under a semitractor-trailer, Leeds, Utah, Feb. 22, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The Utah Highway Patrol responded to an accident on northbound I-15 that resulted in a passenger car wedged under a semitractor-trailer, Leeds, Utah, Feb. 22, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The Utah Highway Patrol responded to an accident on northbound I-15 that resulted in a passenger car wedged under a semitractor-trailer, Leeds, Utah, Feb. 22, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The Utah Highway Patrol responded to an accident on northbound I-15 that resulted in a passenger car wedged under a semitractor-trailer, Leeds, Utah, Feb. 22, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
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