HURRICANE — A driver who stopped suddenly in spite of having a green light triggered a three-car collision in Hurricane Thursday evening.
Reports of the collision near the intersection of 6300 West State Street were called in to the St. George Emergency Communications Center around 6 pm., Hurricane Police Sgt. Brandon Buell said.
As emergency personnel responded they found three damaged vehicles near the intersection, with one driver reporting minor injuries, Buell said.
After talking to witnesses and those involved in the crash, officers pieced together the series of events that led to the collision that required two vehicles to be towed from the scene.
A 68-year old woman driving a 2016 Chevrolet Impala traveling westbound in the right hand lane of West State Street (also known as state Route 9) stopped suddenly, in spite of having a green traffic light directly in front of her, Buell said.
A 39-year-old man driving a 2016 black Toyota Camry directly behind the Impala was unable to stop in time and struck the the woman’s vehicle. His car was then hit by a 2001 Toyota Celica driven by an 18-year-old woman.
As officers questioned the driver of the Impala, they discovered she intended on making a left hand turn onto Telegraph Street from the right hand lane of West State Street and suddenly stopped before making the turn, Buell said. The woman also explained to officers that she and her 68-year-old passenger were from France.
“The other drivers never expected her to use that right lane for what it was never intended for,” Buell said, “which is a left hand turn.”
All occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of the incident. The driver of the Celica reported minor injuries but declined transport to the hospital. No other injuries were reported, Buell said.
Both the Camry and Celica were towed away while the Impala sustained minimal damage and was driven from the scene.
The woman driving the Impala was cited for “stopping or sudden reduction in speed without giving proper signal,” Buell said.
Traffic in the right hand land around the crash site was diverted, causing congestion and delays for approximately 30 minutes.
The Hurricane City Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue, and an officer with Utah State Parks Department also assisted at 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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A red Toyota Celica sustained frontal damage after colliding with a black Toyota Camry during a three car collision at 6300 W. State Street, Hurricane, Utah, May 19, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News A red Toyota Celica sustained frontal damage during a three car collision at 6300 W. State Street, Hurricane, Utah, May 19, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News A black Toyota Camry sustained front and rear damage after a three car collision at 6300 W. State Street, Hurricane, Utah, May 19, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News A black Toyota Camry sustained front and rear damage after a three car collision at 6300 W. State Street, Hurricane, Utah, May 19, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News A red Toyota Celica is towed after a three car collision at 6300 W. State Street, Hurricane, Utah, May 19, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News 6300 W. State Street in Hurricane where three cars collided Thursday evening, Hurricane, Utah, May 19, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
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sounds like the driver of the impala is now liable for the damage on both other cars. she’ll probably be wishing she’d put her foot in her mouth because most of the time you’d never be liable for a car hitting the back of u. first i’ve seen of it, really
altho most always a chain reaction crash is caused by multiple tailgating drivers and/or excess speed,,, hmm
It is the responsibility of all drivers to avoid any accident by paying attention to your surroundings and not following to closely. I do not think the driver of the Impala should have total fault. What if it was a deer that had jumped into the road?
Looks as though French drivers fit right in with our typical SG drivers. (LH turn from the right lane) As fun bag noted, tailgating and excessive speed is all too common. I’ll say it again, why do we waste money on Speed Limit signs as they are universally ignored?