‘Let your eyes re-adjust’; Police say dazzled driver caused T-bone collision near Sandtown Park

ST. GEORGE — A driver dazzled by Monday morning’s rising sun caused a T-bone collision that left all involved parties with minor injuries and a citation for the driver.

First responders clear the scene of a two-vehicle T-bone collision, St. George, Utah, Dec. 30, 2019 | Photo by Ryann Richardson, St. George News

Police officers and fire crews were dispatched to 600 West and 600 North just before 9 a.m. St. George Police Officer David McDaniel told St. George News that a silver Honda Odyssey traveling east on 600 West stopped at a two-way stop sign, looking both ways before crossing the road.

The sun reportedly blinded the driver of the Honda, who was unable to see a white Ford Edge driving south on 600 North, McDaniel said, and the Honda driver started to enter the intersection without letting her eyes adjust. The Ford, whose driver did not have a stop sign, collided with the driver’s side of the Honda.

McDaniel said accidents like these can be easily avoided if drivers could take a moment or two to collect themselves.

“If you feel dazzled when you come up to a stop sign because of lighting, just wait a second,” he said. “Five seconds isn’t going to hurt anybody to wait. Five seconds pulling out in front of someone — as we saw — can hurt someone, so it’s best to just wait for a second, let your eyes re-adjust and make sure it’s clear.”

First responders clear the scene of a two-vehicle T-bone collision, St. George, Utah, Dec. 30, 2019 | Photo by Ryann Richardson, St. George News

Airbags deployed in the Honda, causing the occupants to have minor injuries, including slight burns and lacerations. None of the occupants in either vehicle were transported to the hospital, although both cars were rendered inoperable and towed from the scene.

Southbound and westbound traffic at the intersection was stifled for less than an hour as fire crews and tow truck operators cleared the scene following law enforcement’s investigation of the collision. The driver of the Honda was issued a citation for failure to yield after a stop sign.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!