ST. GEORGE – A woman was taken to the hospital after being run over and pinned under an SUV in St. George Wednesday morning.
Just after 11 a.m., emergency responders were dispatched to the IFA Country Store, located at 310 N. Industrial Road, after it was reported that a Mercury Mariner crashed into the store and ran over a woman.
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Videocast by Devan Chavez, St. George News
St. George Police and Fire units arrived on scene and found that an SUV, which had been driven by an elderly woman, had somehow traveled from the parking lot and into a walkway area outside the store. The SUV hit pallets and shopping carts along the way, sending some crashing into store windows.
A woman who had been in the immediate vicinity was struck by the SUV and partially pinned beneath it when the vehicle finally came to a stop. A shopping cart was also pinned under the SUV.
“We’re suspecting there (was) confusion as far as gas versus brakes,” St. George Police Sgt. Jeff Bahlmann said. “It looks like (the driver was) either pulling in or backing out and accelerated up into the walkway area.”
The woman caught under the SUV was injured but was alert and talking, Bahlmann said. The SUV wasn’t resting on top of her due to the shopping cart, which had also been pinned underneath the vehicle.
“The SUV was actually being held up by the shopping cart,” Bahlmann said. This allowed responders to get the woman out from under the vehicle without having to resort to extrication, he said.
The woman was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center by Gold Cross Ambulance. Bahlmann was unable to confirm the extent of her injuries at the time of this publication.
“It appears that she was run over by the vehicle,” he said, “so you never know as far as internal injuries. On scene, she looked like the was doing OK, given the circumstances.”
The driver of the SUV was unharmed, and no one else was injured as a result of the incident.
Beyond shopping carts being thrown into windows, the IFA building appeared to have escaped any structural damage.
IFA branch manager Bryce Emett was inside the store when the incident occurred.
“We were inside the store in the back,” Emett said, “and all of a sudden, we just heard the crash and came running out.”
He and others saw the woman and shopping cart pinned under the SUV.
“I think the shopping cart’s what saved her life because it got under the car and held it up,” Emett said.
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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GOD SAVED THE WOMANS LIFE. LOL KEEP GIVING DL TO ELDERS, KEEP DOING IT.
I was there later in the day and couldn’t believe someone was able to crash into the store front. Good thing this is not a serious concern of these senior drivers of this senior town, unlike that highly dangerous dancing stuff.
Koolaid, you young Wiper Snapper, you know where to put your opinion?
WOW, that right! Good guess.
I willing to bet you can’t even do the mash potato or the Twist without complaining that the dance (bass) music is too load.
You still drive that little Mopped bike in the fast lane on River Road, using your little arm signals to make a turn?
All in fun KoolAid. Have a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!
Good God, it’s almost like a cruel joke isn’t it. Ugh…
There you go anotherelderly driver, blaming brakes and gas pedals… Now they should take away their drivers license..so many elderly ar us to driving tractors or old car and lots of room then they come to st George and try and drive big us..
Did it say how old the driver was. I didn’t see that part. Was she an elder with a DL? I didn’t see that part either. Get the Facts before you rant..
The first sentence of the article. . “Elderly woman”.
So I hear there was a little confusion between the gas and the brake. I would say it’s time to hand over drivers license and be banned from driving.
What the H kind of Hay was this person smoking?
I’m so glad no one was killed this could of been so much worse than what it was my prayers and thoughts are with the woman taken to the hospital. I’m hoping she is okay and is home with her family. I feel bad for the driver I’m sure the drivers day has been an nightmare also
There needs to be some sort of frequent evaluation progress for elders to keep their license. Otherwise people won’t be able to live long enough to become elders themselves.
Though self driving cars will probably come out before this ever gets placed in effect.
The driving test could be to put them in a roundabout and see how many times they circle around before getting out.
Yep you are right for the older. I have seen some pretty bad cases. I have also seen young people drive like idiots so where do you start.?
If they would build Roundabouts right they would get better traffic flow. The best roundabouts I have even seen is in Mesquite at the south end. That is done right.
Maybe Grandma thought the pedestrian and shopping cart was a reindeer and sleigh, and she thought, “You’re not going to run over me this year as I’m walking home on Christmas Day” as she stepped on the gas.