ST. GEORGE — A malfunction in a semitractor-trailer’s air brakes may be to blame for a multivehicle collision on 1000 East on Wednesday that partially blocked the roadway between St. George Boulevard and Tabernacle Street.
St. George Police officer Berkeley Christian told St. George News that according to the driver, around 5:15 p.m., the semi was heading north, uphill on 1000 East to turn onto St. George Boulevard when a mechanical issue occurred that caused it to stop.
The driver got out of the truck and began to motion cars to go around him. While doing so, the air brakes failed and the truck began to roll downhill.
The semi was hauling three trailers at the time, and the end trailer ran into a car that was stopped behind it. The car was pushed into the vehicle behind it, and so on, until four vehicles were involved.
The semi only came to a stop on the hill when the trailers jackknifed, Christian said.
While the vehicles involved received a measure of damage to their front and back ends, no injuries were reported. Each vehicle – with the exception of the semi – was also able to be driven out of the roadway.
Before the vehicles could be moved out of the road, however, a wrecker had to haul the semi up the hill so it would no longer block traffic.
While the incident blocked off the northbound side of 1000 East, the southbound lane remained open as a police officer directed traffic through the 1000 East-Tabernacle Street intersection until the scene was eventually cleared.
As the cause of the incident was still under investigation, Christian said it wasn’t yet determined if a citation would be issued to the semi driver.
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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A mechanical failure is being blamed for a semitractor-trailer stalling on 1000 East south of St. George Boulevard and rolling backward into the vehicles behind it, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A mechanical failure is being blamed for a semitractor-trailer stalling on 1000 East south of St. George Boulevard and rolling backward into the vehicles behind it, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A mechanical failure is being blamed for a semitractor-trailer stalling on 1000 East south of St. George Boulevard and rolling backward into the vehicles behind it, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A mechanical failure is being blamed for a semitractor-trailer stalling on 1000 East south of St. George Boulevard and rolling backward into the vehicles behind it, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A mechanical failure is being blamed for a semitractor-trailer stalling on 1000 East south of St. George Boulevard and rolling backward into the vehicles behind it, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A mechanical failure is being blamed for a semitractor-trailer stalling on 1000 East south of St. George Boulevard and rolling backward into the vehicles behind it, St. George, Utah, May 8, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
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