Back-to-back crashes snarl morning traffic on Brigham Road

Ford passenger car sustains extensive damage near East Brigham Road and Desert Hills Drive, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A three-vehicle crash followed in the wake of a vehicle running a red light Tuesday morning, with a secondary crash minutes later near Desert Hills High School.

Ford is towed after crash near East Brigham Road and Desert Hills Drive, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a three-vehicle crash at the intersection of East Brigham Road and Desert Hills Drive East, involving a white Volkswagen Atlas, a red Ford passenger car and a white BMW, St. George Police Lt. Thad Feltner said.

Officers found the Ford and the Volkswagen sitting side-by-side near the middle of the intersection facing southeast, while the BMW was located directly in front of the Ford facing north.

Two of the occupants involved in the crash reported minor injuries and were treated at the scene, but declined to be transported to the hospital.

Additional officers were called in to assist in traffic control, as the wreck occurred minutes before classes were scheduled to start at Desert Hills High School, increasing the number of cars moving around the scene.

Numerous responders assist with three-vehicle crash near East Brigham Road and Desert Hills Drive, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The investigation showed that the Ford was heading east on Brigham Road while the Volkswagen was waiting in the left-turn lane on the same street.

The Ford continued through the intersection after the traffic light turned red, Feltner said, and struck the Volkswagen making the turn to head south onto Desert Hills Drive.

“The Volkswagen had the right-of-way,” Feltner said.

The impact spun both vehicles around and pushed one car into the BMW stopped on Desert Hills Drive waiting for the light to turn green.

The Ford and the Volkswagen sustained extensive damage and were rendered inoperable from the collision, while the BMW was driven from the intersection.

Meanwhile, a secondary crash occurred just feet from the intersection when one of the vehicles in the left-turn lane of Brigham Road struck the rear bumper of the car stopped directly ahead.

After witnessing the second crash, several firefighters and officers ran to check on the vehicles’ occupants and found one driver who appeared to have released the brake after suffering some type of sudden medical condition, Feltner said.

Fire department personnel help driver involved in secondary crash near East Brigham Road and Desert Hills Drive, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The car then rolled into the vehicle just ahead, causing a low-impact collision.

The ambulance returned to the scene and transported the driver to Dixie Regional Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.

One eastbound lane of Brigham Road was blocked for nearly 45 minutes while responders tended to the scene.

Minimal damage was reported in the secondary crash, and all occupants in both crashes were properly restrained when the collisions occurred.

Traffic was impeded for nearly an hour as responders cleared debris and wreckage from the roadway.

Feltner added that in the midst of the chaos, delays and blocked roadways, passing motorists showed a great deal of patience.

“We really appreciate everyone being so patient and understanding this morning with traffic backed up and a lot of activity,” Feltner said.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance at the scene.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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7 Comments

  • JOSH DALTON May 9, 2018 at 7:47 am

    Come on Volkswagen! 3 VWs involved! We can do better than that! Volkswagen owners lets pay more attention! GO FALCONS!

  • JOSH DALTON May 9, 2018 at 7:49 am

    Oh and the white vehicle is not a Volkswagen Atlas. The white SUV is a Volkswagen Tiguan. Both black and white vehicle are the Volkswagen Passat. GO FALCONS!

    • comments May 9, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      hitler’s revenge… X3

      apparently in some circles the nickname for the VW brand is “hitler’s revenge”.
      The reason being that they are so unreliable it constitutes “hitler’s revenge”. I can attest to it personally as I had family that owned, I think, a passat. They really are horribly engineered vehicles–inferior quality parts galore. Not to even mention “dieselgate”. They’ve actually lived up to that nickname extremely well–hitler’s revenge!!!

      • Striker4 May 9, 2018 at 4:46 pm

        Only in your demented mind !

  • mmsandie May 9, 2018 at 8:13 am

    Looks like a student, I,m a former teacher , not here, but always said high school students should not drive to school, we pay thousands for buses…walking is good exercise, bicycling. , parents car pooling…guess some people need more education in drivers ed..

  • mctrialsguy May 9, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    We need to do a work walk-out and protest the Desert Hill High School due to lack of Drive-Control!

  • AB May 9, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    I hope you both took time to actually read the report… This was NOT the VW’s fault. The Ford ran a red light… Don’t start attacking people before you read it. Also the other VW had a medical condition that caused them to let go of the break. Come on guys we can do better than this.

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