Cedar City Police eying driver impairment as possible factor in head-on collision

Written by Jeff Richards
June 19, 2021
Scene of a head-on collision involving two pickup trucks near the intersection of 200 North and College Way / Airport Road, Cedar City, Utah, June 19, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — A head-on collision in Cedar City on Saturday morning sent one driver to the hospital, and police are investigating the possibility the injured driver may have been impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Scene of a head-on collision involving two pickup trucks near the intersection of 200 North and College Way / Airport Road, Cedar City, Utah, June 19, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near the intersection of 200 North and College Way / Airport Road. 

Cedar City Police Sgt. Tim Bonzo said a white Chevrolet pickup being driven by an adult male driver was heading south through the intersection and onto College Way when it was struck nearly head-on by a red GMC pickup traveling north in the wrong lane.

The adult male driver of the red GMC truck was subsequently taken to Cedar City Hospital via Gold Cross Ambulance for injuries that were not believed to be serious. 

“We’ll be following up at the hospital and checking him (the driver of the red pickup) for possible impairment,” Bonzo said, adding that the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, the driver of the white Chevrolet pickup was not injured, Bonzo added, noting that the two drivers were the only occupants of their respective vehicles.

Both vehicles sustained heavy front-end damage and needed to be towed.

Traffic in the area was impacted for approximately 45 minutes as emergency responders and tow truck operators worked to clear the scene.

This report is based on comments by law enforcement and emergency personnel and may not include the full scope of the findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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