ST. GEORGE — An older adult died after he was struck by a vehicle on Sunset Boulevard shortly before sunrise on Wednesday – an incident that is under investigation by the accident reconstruction team.

Shortly before 7 a.m., officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a report of a crash involving a pedestrian who was reportedly struck by a black passenger car.

St. George Police Officer Tiffany Mitchell told St. George News at the scene that responders arrived to find the pedestrian, a man who appeared to be in his late 70s, lying in the center turn lane after having suffered fatal injuries in the collision. A metal walker was found a few feet away.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter.

Mitchell said the accident reconstruction team also responded to conduct an investigation, as is standard in crashes that result in serious or critical injuries. The team is tasked with working in reverse as they document any evidence present at the scene in order to determine the course of events.

A drone was also deployed and flew above the area to assist investigators with ariel footage of the scene. The investigation was still ongoing when St. George News arrived at the scene, and Mitchell said the team will continue collecting evidence as the investigation progresses.

At this point, she said, it appears the vehicle was heading east on Sunset Boulevard, and as it approached North 1300 West, the car struck the pedestrian who was crossing the roadway. The exact point of impact and other details were not yet available, Mitchell said, but they expect to know more once the crash reconstruction is completed.

It was still dark when the incident took place, Mitchell said, so it’s possible the driver just didn’t see him.

The St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance and the Utah Department of Transportation’s Incident Management Team responded and tended to the scene. The St. George Police Department’s Accident Reconstruction Team also responded, which is made up of officers from St. George, as well as an officer from the Washington City Police Department who serves on the team.

The identity of the pedestrian has yet to be released by authorities.

Traffic was diverted around the scene of the crash that extended for nearly a block as the team conducted its investigation.

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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