Smart car proves its worth in late night parkway rollover

Written by Ric Wayman
February 23, 2016

ST. GEORGE — Mercedes-Benz, maker of the Smart car, touts its durability in a crash. This was proven Tuesday night as one of the diminutive vehicles rolled for about 300 feet on Red Hills Parkway.

A single vehicle rollover on Red Hills Parkway Tuesday night looked scary, however the driver escaped with bumps and bruises. St. George, Utah, Feb. 23, 2016 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
A single vehicle rollover on Red Hills Parkway Tuesday night looked scary, however the driver escaped with bumps and bruises. St. George, Utah, Feb. 23, 2016 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

“At 8:30 (p.m.) we were advised through our dispatch that a single vehicle accident had occurred at 700 W. Red Hills Parkway,” St. George Police Sgt. Spencer Holmes said. “A silver Smart car had rolled several times.”

Holmes said the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle and exited the car without help.

“He was tended to by an off-duty firefighter who witnessed the crash,” Holmes said. “He was treated by Gold Cross on scene and will be released with minor bumps and bruises.”

A single vehicle rollover on Red Hills Parkway Tuesday night looked scary, however the driver escaped with bumps and bruises. St. George, Utah, Feb. 23, 2016 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
A single vehicle rollover on Red Hills Parkway Tuesday night looked scary, however the driver escaped with bumps and bruises. St. George, Utah, Feb. 23, 2016 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

The driver was wearing his seat belt and the side airbags deployed on the car, which hadn’t even received its license plates yet.

Holmes said the accident is under investigation for excessive speed and failure to maintain a lane, adding that the driver was approximately in his late 20s or early 30s.

The St. George Police Department responded, along with St. George Fire units and Gold Cross Ambulance. Traffic on Red Hills Parkway was slowed for about 45 minutes as the accident was investigated and cleaned up.

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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Twitter: @STGnews | @NewsWayman

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"I wrote my first word when I was very young. I enjoyed this so much I decided to write many more words." A native of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Ric was bitten by the news bug as a staff writer and associate editor of the Palisades High School Tideline. After school he entered the media as a radio personality, both playing music and reporting news. Ric moved to St. George in the 1980s and was the morning personality on all three major AM stations in town. An avid amateur radio operator, Ric is looking for a good band to play in, as he plays keyboards, bass and guitar. Ric, who currently is working on developing a lifestyle that doesn't require his presence, lives in the center of St. George with his partner Terri, two snoring dogs and too many neurotic cats.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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1 Comment

  • Common Sense February 24, 2016 at 5:27 am

    All that crash proves is that the driver got lucky at 35-40 miles per hour and if he was going any faster or there was more traffic he would not have been so lucky.

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