Vehicle found at the bottom of a 100-foot ravine following a rollover on state Route 59 near the Hurricane Hill trailhead, Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Submitted photo, St. George News
HURRICANE — A driver was killed in a cliffside crash on state Route 59 in Hurricane after the vehicle went off a cliff and was found sitting at the bottom of a 100-foot ravine.
Hurricane Police Officer Ken Thompson told St. George News that at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to SR-59 near the Hurricane Hill trailhead – more commonly known as the Hurricane Overlook – on a single-vehicle crash involving a green Geo Tracker.
Officers located the vehicle at the bottom of a ravine approximately 100 feet below the cliff’s edge. When they reached the wreckage, the officers found the driver, an elderly man, inside the vehicle and deceased, Thompson said.
Hurricane Valley Fire District also responded with the ladder truck and lights to assist in the recovery operation.
As of publication of this article, detectives and officers are at the scene taking measurements and conducting the ongoing crash investigation, Thompson said, adding that the drop off of 100 feet is an approximation only.
No other occupants are believed to be in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and the cause is still under investigation. The body of the driver was recovered with the assistance of Washington County Search and Rescue and transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner for further investigation.
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View from street below where rollover was reported on state Route 9 near the Hurricane Hill trailhead. A ladder truck with the illuminated ladder extended is visible in the middle of the photo, Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
Drop-off where Geo Tracker went off the roadway from state Route 9 in Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Photo by Ron Chaffin, St. George News
View of Hurricane Overlook where car went off from 600 East during crash, Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Photo by Ron Chaffin, St. George News
View of drop-off from state Route 9 where car went off, killing the driver, Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Photo by Ron Chaffin, St. George News
Vehicle found at the bottom of a 100-foot ravine following a rollover on state Route 9 near the Hurricane Hill trailhead, Hurricane, Utah, April 21, 2020 | Submitted photo, St. George News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cody Blowers was raised in South San Francisco, California. A 2013 graduate of Colorado Technical University, Cody earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in paralegal studies. Through the course of her academic studies she discovered that writing is her true passion, and she is committed to providing credible, integrated news coverage. Cody joined St. George News in 2015, and when she’s not busy chasing the news, she can generally be found chasing her young granddaughter, Kali.