ST. GEORGE — A single-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge is slowing traffic through the area as of 2:15 p.m. MST Friday.
The crash prompted closure of one southbound lane approximately 6 miles south of the Utah border to allow for recovery efforts after a vehicle went off the road near mile marker 23 in Arizona.
Update 6:25 p.m. MDT: One southbound lane remains closed, and due to the “extensive recovery operation in progress,” to remove a vehicle that went off the road near mile marker 23 before it crashed into the river, the closure will likely remain in effect for an extended period of time, Arizona Highway Patrol Trooper Tom Callister told St. George News.
“We don’t even have an estimated time for the lane to reopen,” he said.
Motorists are encouraged to use old Highway 91 as an alternate route, which can be accessed from Exit 8 in Utah through Beaver Dam and Littlefield, Arizona.
The incident that triggered the closure began as a pursuit of a suspect possibly wanted on a number of sexual offenses. It began in Utah and continued south into Arizona, where officers lost track of the car in increasingly heavy traffic.
According to initial reports the suspect’s vehicle was located by police shortly after 2 p.m. MST.
No further details were immediately available. Check back with St. George News for the full story.
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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