ST. GEORGE – A 66-year-old Washington City man died Thursday afternoon after his truck veered off the road and slammed into a tree.
Patrol Sgt. Albert Gilman of the St. George Police Department said Allen Cottam was travelling east bound down 700 S. by Dixie High School when his pickup, a GMC Sierra 2500, suddenly veered left into oncoming traffic, struck the curb and crashed between a tree and utility pole in a residential yard.
The accident occurred at 2:45 p.m. and took place between 300 E. and 400 E. on 700 S.
Cottam was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead soon after.
Gilman said the cause of the accident is currently unknown, though a pre-existing medical condition is suspected. There is a possibility Cottam passed away before his truck impacted the tree. His body is being sent to Salt Lake City for an autopsy, Gilman added, where the cause of death can be properly determined.
The segment of 700 S. between 300 E. and 400 E. was closed for an hour after the accident as the police recreated the crash before the truck was removed.
No one else was injured in the crash.
Copyright 2011 St. George News. This material may not be published or rewritten without written consent.