1 dead, 1 critical after SR-7 accident; speed suspected factor

St. George firefighters stand on scene near a Corvette that crashed on state Route 7 just west of the River Road on-ramp, St. George, Utah, Oct. 25, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A 32-year-old man was confirmed dead Saturday afternoon following a car accident that occurred near mile marker 3 on state Route 7, also known as Southern Parkway, just west of the River Road on-ramp.

Just after 4 p.m., a man driving a white Chevrolet Corvette with a man riding as passenger was traveling west on SR-7, Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Shawn Hinton said.

“One witness said they were doing 65 and this car passed them like they were standing still,” Hinton said. “We are still investigating the exact speed but believe they were traveling at an excess of 100 miles per hour.”

St. George firefighters stand on scene near the Corvette that crashed on state Route 7 just west of the River Road onramp, Utah, Oct. 25, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News
St. George firefighters stand on scene near a Corvette that crashed on state Route 7 just west of the River Road on-ramp, St. George, Utah, Oct. 25, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News

According to further witness statements given to UHP, the Corvette became airborne as it crossed over the threshold of the River Road structure and then collided with the guardrail on the right side of the road, Hinton said. When the Corvette lowered, it slid approximately 200 feet and then became lodged under the guardrail on the right side of the road, according to a UHP press release.

“It probably took out 100 feet of guardrail,” Hinton said.

The Corvette came to rest sideways off the right side of the road, and as it did so the guardrail came up into the car and impacted the driver’s neck, Hinton said.

UHP, St. George Police, St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance responded to the scene. Westbound lanes on SR-7 at the River Road on-ramp were closed for investigation.

St. George firefighters stand on scene near the Corvette that crashed on state Route 7 just west of the River Road onramp, Utah, Oct. 25, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News
St. George firefighters stand on scene near a Corvette that crashed on state Route 7 just west of the River Road on-ramp St. George, Utah, Oct. 25, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News

The Corvette was a total loss.

The passenger, 27, was extracted from the car and Gold Cross Ambulance transported him to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George with a broken arm and in critical condition, Hinton said.

The driver of the Corvette was confirmed dead at the scene.

Both the driver and passenger appeared to have been wearing their seat belts, according to the press release.

The identity of the driver has not been confirmed and is still under investigation at the time of this publication.

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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45 Comments

  • Snodgrass October 25, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    What a shame, the ‘vette was totaled. 🙁

    • Austin October 25, 2014 at 7:57 pm

      Really? That’s your top concern. …
      Ed. ellipsis.

      • Koolaid October 25, 2014 at 9:13 pm

        Would you be sympathetic to druggie dying from overdose? This guy chose to speed and also put others at risk with foolish and dangerous driving.

        • ladybugavenger October 25, 2014 at 10:32 pm

          Good point KOOLAID, druggies get a bad rap around here. They would prefer no charges and giving a fundraiser to a worthy morman mom that forgot her child in a hot car and it baked to death and HANG the worthless druggy

          • Dana October 26, 2014 at 2:44 pm

            Ladybug, You still yakking about that woman in Hurricane? And yet you had compassion in your heart for the father who ran over his little girl in Santa Clara. How do you differentiate between the two accidents?

    • Leo October 25, 2014 at 8:04 pm

      You are a … idiot.
      Ed. ellipsis.

    • AGREE October 25, 2014 at 8:44 pm

      If the driver was truly going 100+ mph, he asked for it. Pretty simple. Instant karma. Thankfully, he didn’t kill other drivers or cyclists on the road.

  • Hiflyer October 25, 2014 at 7:53 pm

    That’s to bad. Prayers go out to the families. More UHP are needed on that hiway. I’ve witnessed several vehicles doing 90 + mph on the so. Corridor.

  • Chuck Brown October 25, 2014 at 7:58 pm

    As Sammy Hagar sings it……”I can’t drive 55″

  • Meow Mix October 25, 2014 at 9:06 pm

    Slow down. Avoid accidents. The next life you take might be some innocent person.

  • DesertBill October 25, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    I’m glad there were no bike riders on that stretch of the road.

  • BrooMan October 25, 2014 at 10:03 pm

    I believe there is a 360 degree camera right there South of the overpass. It may have been caught on camera.

  • PROTECT THE SHEEP October 25, 2014 at 10:12 pm

    A vett don’t drive like mama’s station wagon. This boy couldn’t handle the torque.

  • . October 25, 2014 at 10:55 pm

    I’ll admit it’s easy to fly down that road and there is never a cop on that road, sorry for the family just glad it wasn’t worse.

    • mary October 26, 2014 at 8:57 am

      The passenger is in critical condition . That IS pretty ‘worse’ .
      Some other guy’s life is totally messed up because an adult with a 12 year old mentality failed to “fly it down” a raceway instead of a public road .
      Adult checkbook . . . teen attitude .

  • JW October 26, 2014 at 1:23 am

    No I have seen a motorcycle cop on the river road exit down there. I agree though, it appears to be a road you can “get away” with speed testing your car on.

  • Concerned October 26, 2014 at 1:41 am

    Please be careful with your comments. I knew this guy and he was good, kind, selfless, and friendly. I’m sure I’m not the only friend who will read these comments. I hope his family doesn’t see them. He just got that car and made one choice that cost him his life. I’m gong to miss him. You never know when something like this will happen to someone you know. I’m still in shock after hearing what happened. I hope his family is being helped through this tragedy. I hope the passenger recovers. I haven’t heard yet who the passenger is. These families are in my prayers.

    • Dana October 26, 2014 at 6:02 am

      Selfless? He Chose to speed, lost control and ended up dead. Glad no one else died.

  • also concerned October 26, 2014 at 6:39 am

    I am also concerned. There is a severe lack of humanity in these comments. I don’t know ANYONE that wouldn’t speed test a brand new corvette.
    32 years young, I’m very sad for him, his family…..
    No one condemning this man has lived a life free from bad choices.

    • mary October 26, 2014 at 8:53 am

      Those of us who are Responsible people test them at a raceway or even the salt flats .
      Doing it on a public roadway is the same as testing your gun in a public park .
      Your remarks show the height of juvenile idiocy lurking in an adult .
      Hope you … before someone dies due to your ignorance .
      Ed. ellipsis.

    • mary October 26, 2014 at 9:18 am

      Rephrased :
      Hope you grow up before someone dies due to your juvenile attitude .

  • Bobber2 October 26, 2014 at 7:10 am

    I have a 2007 Z06 and have driven that road many times well over the speed limit. I never knew how much of an elevation change there was at the River Road bridge. I was able to get my Vette down to about 110 when I hit it the first time and it was a scary few seconds.
    They must have been doing something over 110 to get airborne but it does not take much at those speeds.
    That road is awesome for going fast but only when there are no cars or pedestrians are around.
    High HP cars take time to get used to and must be driven with respect. If not, things like this happen.

    • mary October 26, 2014 at 8:50 am

      Those speeds are NEVER appropriate on public roadways .
      There are raceways and even the salt flats for “opening it up” .

      Doing it on public roads is endangering others & wholly irresponsible .

      • Frank October 26, 2014 at 10:10 am

        Mary,

        You’re the juvenile one for all these nasty remarks.

        That goes for the rest of the nasty replies by others.

        So to all the negativity on here and to those people: I honestly hope tragedy like this occurs to the people in your life you deeply love. Then I hope it shows up here for all to see so everyone can have their “pertinent opinion” so they can “be heard”, and then I hope they tear into it like Many here have done.

        I then can only hope you feel a deep sorrow from it where you mourn and mourn and mourn and look back and say “maybe I shouldn’t have been so rude in those comments”.

        • mary October 26, 2014 at 5:08 pm

          Advocating ADULT responsibility is juvenile & nasty ?
          You want my family to act like a stupid kid and kill someone with a car ?

          I could Now make a nasty remark about your upbringing but you have outed yourself sufficiently .

          Seek therapy and try Not to endanger others before you resolve your issues .

  • Holly October 26, 2014 at 7:19 am

    … was a great person, I knew him well and will miss him. He spent vacations volunteering in mexico building houses. He was always willing to help out a friend. He treated women with respect and had a wonderful sense of humor. The world is worse off without him. He was a light in this world and he will be missed.
    Ed. ellipsis.

  • mary October 26, 2014 at 8:47 am

    There is a common urge to push a machine to capacity .
    In a crowded city the traffic is a natural inhibitor But
    It what seems like wide open spaces , there is a tendency to “open it up ” .
    Unfortunately the owner could afford a high powered vehicle but
    Never learned how to properly operate it .

    Others should learn that there are appropriate raceways to
    engage in “opening it up” . . . and use them Instead of public roadways .

  • tc rider October 26, 2014 at 9:09 am

    there are no cops there because they are too busy making sure no one is dancing at the monster mash.

  • chuck October 26, 2014 at 10:09 am

    Oh come on Mary! Don’t tell me you’re miss perfect over here. He did one mistake, which unfortunately cost him his life. To say “he deserved it” is like saying people who make mistakes should get cancer and die. A little extreme but you get the picture.
    Cast the first stone, people. If you haven’t made stupid mistakes in your life, woo.. You must be a perfect human being. Congratulations.
    No, this man was a great man. The greatest people on earth make mistakes. Unfortunately, taking certain choices will have great conciquences. Instead of bashing on this unfortunate event and being oh so hypocritical, how about you show at least a tiny bit of humanity.
    His friends and family mourn for their loss. I say, rest in piece buddy. Heaven took you way too soon.

    • mary October 26, 2014 at 5:13 pm

      Chuck chuck chuck . . . reading Not a primary skill for you ?
      NO one said ( including me ) that he “deserved it ” .
      Only someone on mind altering substances could hallucinate that .

      What WAS said was that his action was grossly immature .
      What WAS said was that others should learn from this and NOT play race cars on a public road but on a raceway .

      And while everyone makes mistakes , many NEVER involve critical trauma to other humans .
      Grow up already .

    • fred October 27, 2014 at 3:10 am

      Chuck, I think you meant rest in “PEACE”

  • My Evil Twin October 26, 2014 at 10:26 am

    Yeah, my guess is he was an extremely responsible individual. My guess is also that this is not the first extremely stupid, thoughtless and reckless thing he has done when behind the wheel. It just caught up to him this time. TOUGH!

  • Breann higgs October 26, 2014 at 10:50 am

    Some of you people need to pipe down! You don’t know this guy. How dare you even say disrespectful things about him. What if it was one of your family members?? Would you be saying it then?? No, probably not! Think about his family and how they would feel if they looked at the shitty ass comments about their son or brother! Everybody makes mistakes in life and nobody knows what happens next. I’m sure he didn’t know that this was going to happen nor did he want it to!

    • My Evil Twin October 26, 2014 at 11:16 am

      And how about the innocent people this … could have taken with him? You can take your “wonderful” individual and stick it where the sun don’t shine. The guy was obviously …
      Ed. ellipses.

    • mary October 26, 2014 at 5:21 pm

      We know he put an innocent passenger in the hospital in critical condition because he was behaving like a 12 year old in a high powered car .
      How much do you think people need to know ?
      Your response sounds pretty 12 year old also .
      A grown up would be APOLOGIZING for putting an innocent person in ICU !

  • AGREE October 26, 2014 at 11:36 am

    Most of these comments concerning the irresponsibility of the person were made without evening knowing who this person is. I commented earlier and don’t have a clue who he is. It doesn’t matter who he is. What he DID was inexcusable. You people make it sound like it would have been okay if he were a bad person. The kind of person he was does not matter if what he DID was stupid, idiotic, and irresponsible. I still don’t know who he is. It doesn’t matter…

  • Jamie October 26, 2014 at 11:39 am

    Soo to all you heartless people who commented on this He was my cousin he was a good person he was very kind. What if this happened to your family and you have no idea what this family has already had to go through. So shut your mouth cause you would be pissed if people said this bout your family think before u say things. He lost his sister when she was six and he was 21 when he lost his mom soo this family has been through alot. I will miss my cousin very much.

  • ScanMeister October 26, 2014 at 1:25 pm

    Wow 131 MPH and caught air going over the River Road bridge.

  • Dan 911 caller, First Responder October 26, 2014 at 1:29 pm

    This was the sadest thing I’ve ever seen in 40 years of life. I’m thankful that I was at the car in like 15 seconds and was able to calm the passenger and call 911 and get help on the way. What a tragic accident my life has been changed for sure. RIP Driver ! Passenger Keep Strong ! I kind of feel attached to these guys and feel sorry for them and thier families. I almost wish I was about 10 seconds earlier and they would have hit my motorhome or trailer and the outcome may have been different.

  • Frank October 26, 2014 at 2:01 pm

    I didn’t realize how perfect Mary is

    I’m awestruck by the perfection of someone such as herself, yet so apathetic and heartless at the same time. You must be one of these self-righteous Mormons who thinks they are better than everyone.

    You can do no harm or foul…. No mistakes from you.

    Tell us how can we all be like you?? Tell us O GREAT MARY – how thou art so pure.

    • mary October 26, 2014 at 5:16 pm

      Frank is totally heartless about the guy in critical condition at the hospital .

      Mary cares about INNOCENT by standers ,

      Frank likes to defend reckless drivers that hurt people .
      Sure we will eventually see Franks picture on the Sherrifs booking site after he runs over a few people .

  • skynrg October 26, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    He was a very good friend to those he knew. He was human, like everyone else. I appreciate the friendship he had with my brother. He touched the lives of so many around him. My heart aches for his family. As a member of the EMS community, it reminds me that bad things happen to good people; that one small decision has such an impact. But he was not reckless, and he wasnt thoughtless or drunk. I know how much others meant to him. It is easy to forget that there was 32-yrs of great memories he made, and a few minutes of a bad decision that cost his life. If you are unable to forgive or get past that, you are worse off than he is….

  • Joanna October 26, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    Thank goodness this … I can’t imagine the kind of arrogance required to think it’s OK to go over 100 miles/hour on a public road. My thoughts are with the passenger and the passenger’s family.
    Ed. ellipsis.

  • rfin October 26, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    Wow trollz are strong here R.I.P. to the lost ….we all make mistakes unfortunately his cost him his life ….Mary you are a cold person and the day you slithered out of the abortion bucket plagues the rest of humanity.

  • Countrygirl October 28, 2014 at 8:19 am

    OMG People. We all make mistakes and have regrets. No one is perfect and if you think you are you are living in a fantasy land. Most everyone of us has driven at a very high rate of speed at some point in our life or will do it. This poor family and friends have been traumatized by this. He didn’t set out to hurt himself or anyone else. A poor judgement call yes but not intentional. I do not know this young man but I do work with his father and I can’t imagine how devastated he feels or the family feels. I know I would be devastated if this was any of my children. Please be understanding of how the family is feeling. I know God is but may not be as understanding with all the negative and hurtful comments being made.

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