ST. GEORGE — In the blink of an eye, a driver on Interstate 15 set off a series of unfortunate circumstances Wednesday when he reached for his cellphone and lost control of his truck. The truck spun around and careened off the Interstate backwards before crashing into a hillside and ejecting the driver.
At approximately 9:50 a.m., the driver of a white Ford Ranger truck was northbound on I-15 near milepost 3 in St. George when he reportedly dropped his cellphone, unbuckled his seat belt and reached down to retrieve it, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Larry Mower said.
As he reached to grab his phone, the driver veered to the left of the highway, hit the rumble strips and overcorrected back to the right, the highway patrol sergeant said.
From there, things went from bad to worse.
“The truck spun around and left the roadway backwards, went up this hill embankment right here and then rolled back down,” Mower said, pointing to the hillside along the right side of the Interstate. “When they hit the hill, the driver was actually ejected.”
Mower said the driver’s injuries appeared to be minor, but medical personnel who responded to the scene wanted him to be checked out at the hospital due to the fact that he was ejected during the crash. However, Mower didn’t know if the driver would agree to be transported.
A passenger in the truck received no reported injuries, Mower said.
One northbound lane of travel was temporarily closed as emergency responders tended to the scene and crews towed the inoperable truck.
As a result of the crash, Mower said the driver of the truck would likely be issued a citation for failure to maintain a lane.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
A driver on northbound Interstate 15 reached for his cellphone, lost control of his truck, spun around and left the roadway backwards before being ejected from his truck after crashing into a hillside near milepost 3, St. George, Utah, Aug. 17, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News A driver on northbound Interstate 15 reached for his cellphone, lost control of his truck, spun around and left the roadway backwards before being ejected from his truck after crashing into a hillside near milepost 3, St. George, Utah, Aug. 17, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News A driver on northbound Interstate 15 reached for his cellphone, lost control of his truck, spun around and left the roadway backwards before being ejected from his truck after crashing into a hillside near milepost 3, St. George, Utah, Aug. 17, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News A driver on northbound Interstate 15 reached for his cellphone, lost control of his truck, spun around and left the roadway backwards before being ejected from his truck after crashing into a hillside near milepost 3, St. George, Utah, Aug. 17, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
Rather, “failure to maintain a brain.”
Karma
Isn’t there a Mayhem Commercial about this very same thing? Prolly Texting I’m sure they can find out and charge him accordingly.
No ambulance needed. He was much more embarrassed than injured.
At the vey least he should have to pick up all of his garbage.
I’m just glad he was able to survive and make it home to his friends and loved ones. that’s the important thing here. ..praise the Lord. !