ST. GEORGE — Troopers said a driver lost control of their vehicle while looking to make a brief stop to take a selfie in front of the Arizona welcome sign on Interstate 15.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper Thomas Callister said at a little after 3:10 p.m. Friday afternoon, the female driver, who was the lone passenger in the maroon Subaru XV Crosstrek traveling from Montana to Las Vegas, saw the sign and made a decision to stop to take a picture in front of it. The driver apparently lost control as she was pulling off of southbound I-15 and ended up in a culvert in front of the sign. 

“She almost made it,” Callister said. 

The trooper added that the driver said she was traveling at approximately 10 mph, but the damage and position of the vehicle — which ended up in an upward-facing position with extensive damage to the front — said otherwise.

“The evidence at the scene shows she was going faster,” Callister said. 

Thanks to a seatbelt and the deployment of front and side airbags, the driver was unhurt, at least physically.

“Her pride is hurt more than anything,” Callister said. 

The accident itself caused little disruption to I-15 traffic heading from the St. George area to the Virgin River Gorge. By 4 p.m., the tow truck had already arrived to take the car away. 

And just as the Subaru was hoisted onto the flatbed of the tow truck, across the way on the northbound side of the I-15 two people could be seen with their car parked, taking pictures in front of the “Welcome to Utah” sign.

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