ST. GEORGE – At approximately 10 a.m. Tuesday St. George Police responded to a two-car collision on the east end of St. George Blvd. when a light brown pickup truck collided with a light brown Suburban.
The pickup truck was approaching the west side of the intersection traveling straight, when the suburban, approaching from the east side of the intersection, turned left to get onto Interstate 15.
In giving statements to St. George Police Sgt. Craig Harding on scene, both parties and witnesses pointed to their interpretation of the changing traffic lights as the main cause of the accident, with each driver claiming they had the right of way. The pickup also carried two passengers who gave statements.
Although the driver of the truck claimed the light was green and then yellow, the driver of another car traveling in the same direction told police the light had already turned red; that driver had in fact stopped as the pickup truck entered the intersection.
“Driver number 1 in the pickup said ‘no, i think my light was green,'” Harding said, “So I asked him, ‘green? really? This guy’s saying red,'” referring to the driver of the other car.
“He didn’t know what the color the light was,” Harding said. “Then I turned to the other two guys who didn’t speak english very well – they both said no rojo rojo, amarillo. … and at first the driver said verde; so I think the driver got the color yellow from the two passengers because he told me he didn’t see the color of the light – there’s no way he went through on a green light.”
The driver of the pickup truck was cited for running a red light, based upon witness statements offered the officer investigating the accident.
All parties involved were local. None required immediate medical attention, and both vehicles were towed inoperable.
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Ironman 70.3 St. George, Utah, May 4, 2013 | Photo by Chris Caldwell, St. George News
Two-car collision at St. George Boulevard onramp to Interstate 15, St. George, Utah, April 7, 2013 | Photo by A.J. Mellor, St. George News
Two-car collision at St. George Boulevard onramp to Interstate 15, St. George, Utah, April 7, 2013 | Photo by A.J. Mellor, St. George News
St. George Police Sgt. Craig Harding responded to two-car collision at St. George Boulevard onramp to Interstate 15, St. George, Utah, April 7, 2013 | Photo by A.J. Mellor, St. George News
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Running red lights is a plague down here. I wish we had traffic cams. If people started getting $200 fines, we would fewer offenders.
Traffic cams sound like a good idea at first, but they would result in countless rear-end collisions in STG from folks slamming on their breaks to avoid a photo and a ticket. Also, there are people who are “almost” thru the signal when it turns red, and they aren’t the problem here with a 2-3 second delay before the other light turns green. And then there are the ones who are totally oblivious that they are approaching a signalized intersection and blow thru a red light plowing into vehicles. Those are the folks who are the problem. What’s the remedy to fix that? Is it fixable?
I detest the idea of traffic cams. I have read where they cause more collisions than they prevent. BUT, the way people drive, (and not just here in Dixie,) is where the problems are. Get off your cell phones. Stop driving while you are doing ANYTHING else. Driving in traffic requires your full attention.
I remember one comment that Craig made when he was PIO for SGPD. He said, “it isn’t IF, but WHEN, you are involved in a traffic accident.” That right there is a pretty sad commentary on the our driving practices.
I hope that Craig and all the other traffic coppers in this area will continue to be “pro-active” and try to wake drivers up.
I agree with that, Evil Twin. Even though the St George area is not exactly big city traffic, parts of are becoming so. The whole of St George Blvd, Bluff St, Sunset Blvd, the entire River Rd-Red Cliffs all the way to Telegraph, and pretty much every I-15 on/off ramp from the Dixie Center to Green Springs. Those streets are accident central. Be careful out there!