Passenger fractures leg, becomes trapped during 2-vehicle crash on Sunset

ST. GEORGE — A two-vehicle crash on West Sunset Boulevard near Snow Canyon High School in Santa Clara left two occupants injured, one of whom was trapped, Thursday.

Ambulance transports a passenger who was trapped during a two-vehicle crash at intersection of Lava Flow Drive and Sunset Boulevard, Santa Clara, Utah, Dec. 17, 2020 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Shortly before noon, emergency personnel responded to the intersection of West Sunset Boulevard and Lava Flow Drive on a two-vehicle crash involving a gold Lexus and a black BMW.

Officers arrived to find a woman in the rear passenger’s seat of the BMW who was trapped in the car. And once firefighters were able to free her legs, which were pinned by the seat, she was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center to be treated for fractures, Santa Clara Ivins Police Sgt. Reed Briggs said.

The remaining occupants sustained minor injuries, he added, primarily burns or other injuries sustained when the airbags deployed.

At the time of the crash, the BMW was heading south on 2400 West and pulled out into the intersection to make a left turn heading east on Sunset Boulevard. The Lexus was heading north on Lava Flow Drive and also entered the intersection heading straight where the road turns onto 2400 West.

From that point, both drivers gave conflicting statements on how the two cars collided, Briggs said, but there were several bystanders who witnessed the crash take place and provided statements to police, which assisted in the investigation.

“At some point, we have a fail to yield, but we’re not sure which party that was,” Briggs said, and added later that according to witnesses, the BMW heading south toward the intersection failed to yield to the Lexus as it made the left-hand turn.

He also said the crash took place near the lunch hour which increased traffic in the area, in addition to the rise in foot traffic as students were released for lunch. A traffic investigator also responded to the scene to conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash. Briggs later provided updated information and said that both passengers traveling in the back seat of the BMW were transported to the hospital with injuries.

Police officers from St. George responded to assist in diverting traffic away from the scene.

The Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department, Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue, St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance responded and tended to the scene.

This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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