3-vehicle crash in St. George leaves ‘chaotic scene,’ all drivers taken to hospital

ST. GEORGEA Tuesday afternoon crash on Sunset Boulevard resulted in the injury of all drivers involved, with all three taken to the hospital.

Gabe Flowers, an eyewitness that called 911 after the crash, used a drone to capture video of the aftermath of a crash on Sunset Boulevard, St. George, Utah, Jan. 4, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Gabe Flowers, St. George News

Tiffany Mitchell, public information officer with the St. George Police Department, told St. George News the crash was caused by a 31-year-old man driving a black Chrysler 200. The Chrysler collided with a blue Toyota Prius driven by an 82-year-old woman, causing the Prius to move into the outside lane and strike a maroon Kia Forte traveling in the same direction.

“The Chrysler was eastbound on Sunset going about 40 miles per hour in the middle turn lane approaching 1100 West,” Mitchell said. “The second vehicle (Prius) was westbound in the inside lane of Sunset. They met in the intersection as the Chrysler was making a left turn, and it hit that second vehicle almost head-on.”

Gabe Flowers was working at the Express Lube just in front of the scene of the crash when he heard the loud sound of the collision. He said he ran outside the oil change business and saw the wreckage just moments after the impact.

“I instantly called 911, and then I ran over to the guy inside the black car,” Flowers said. “You could tell he was disoriented all the way and pretty shaken up, and he had a concussion for sure. I lifted up the airbag so I could see him and I was like, ‘Are you okay?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine.’ And then the cops came really fast – not even two minutes later.”

Emergency personnel were dispatched after being called in around 3:30 p.m. They arrived to find the Chrysler facing the wrong way in the westbound lanes of Sunset Boulevard while the Prius was crumpled in the center turn lane some distance from the point of impact. The Kia stopped with its bumper on the northwest curb of 1100 West and Sunset.

All three vehicles involved were towed from the scene, including this maroon Kia Forte, St. George, Utah, Jan. 4, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

The two vehicles nearest Express Lube, the Chrysler and Prius, were more heavily damaged than the Forte, Flowers said. While paramedics helped drivers exit their cars and tow trucks were called to remove the vehicles, the center and westbound lanes of Sunset were closed and traffic was funneled into the two eastbound lanes using cones and police direction.

Mitchell said the man driving the Chrysler was cited for failing to yield while making a left turn. The extent of the injuries for all three drivers was not released at the time of reporting. 

Following almost an hour of clean-up and investigation, traffic resumed as usual around 4:25 p.m.

Mitchell said one of the best ways motorists and passersby can help is to just move past the scene in a safe and orderly manner without taking eyes off the road. Especially in a situation where traffic is diverted or there’s debris in the roadway, distracted driving can lead to dangerous secondary collisions. 

As far as best practices for those driving by the aftermath of a crash, Mitchell said:

Everyone’s kind of a looky-loo because we’re curious as human beings, but they get so wrapped up in trying to figure out what’s going on that they don’t pay attention to where they’re driving. It’s already a dangerous and chaotic scene. We don’t need more distracted drivers in that same area, so slow down, move over and drive through it safely. Then get on your social media preference or tune into your local news and find the information out later when it’s safe to do so.

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, 2022, all rights reserved.

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