Cement truck crashes in Cedar City; police say high winds partly to blame

Written by Jeff Richards
June 23, 2021

CEDAR CITY — A cement truck tipped over and crashed on state Route 56 in Cedar City Wednesday afternoon.

The incident, which reportedly happened shortly after 2 p.m., involved an 18-wheel cement mixer belonging to a local construction company.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper James Springer said the vehicle had been heading east on SR-56 at approximately 3700 West when high winds reportedly caused the truck to leave the roadway. The driver then overcorrected and went off the opposite side of the highway, he said.

“It ended up with him sliding on this side and taking out a little bit of the fence line here,” Springer said, referring to a short barbed wire fence that lines the railroad right-of-way.

The driver reportedly sustained a few minor cuts and scrapes. He was evaluated by medical personnel at the scene but declined to be taken to the hospital, Springer said.

“As of right now, I don’t suspect impairment or anything like that, or even driver distraction,” Springer added.

Westbound traffic was reduced to a single lane while the scene was cleared, as the tipped-over vehicle was partially blocking the far right lane.

In addition to multiple Utah Highway Patrol troopers, officers from Cedar City Police Department also responded, as did Gold Cross Ambulance. The wrecked vehicle was removed by a tow truck.

This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of 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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