ST. GEORGE — A rider was injured and transported to the hospital following a crash on Bluff Street that police said was set in motion when a passenger car made a left-hand turn in front of the rider. That rider was wearing a helmet at the time, which likely spared the rider from what could have been fatal injuries, authorities say.
On Tuesday, officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash reported at the intersection of Bluff Street and 700 South shortly after 11 a.m., involving a red Mitsubishi passenger car and a red Ducati motorcycle. According to initial reports, the motorcycle rider sustained possible head injuries.
Officer arrived to find the Mitsubishi off the right shoulder on the southbound side of Bluff Street, while the bike was lying in the roadway directly behind the passenger car. Both southbound lanes were shut down as additional officers were called in to assist with traffic control.
St. George Police Officer Eric Trombley told St. George News the rider sustained several injuries in the crash and was transported to St. George Regional Hospital. While the extent of the injuries had yet to be determined, he said they did not appeal to be fatal.
At the time of the crash, the Mitsubishi was heading north on Bluff Street when the driver entered the center lane to make a left-hand turn into the parking lot of an auto mechanic business, while the motorcycle approached the same intersection heading south, police said.
When the car made the turn, it crossed directly into the path of the motorcycle that struck the front of the Mitsubishi on the passenger’s side — which threw the rider upon impact.
Trombley said the driver of the Mitsubishi told officers they first checked for oncoming traffic before making the turn, but did not see the bike until it was too late.
According to two witnesses who stopped and spoke to police, the motorcycle did not appear to be speeding as it approached the intersection, and the investigation also revealed the rider likely saw the car as it was making the left-hand turn, judging from the damage indicating the rider attempted to take evasive maneuvers to avoid the collision.
Judging from the damage, it was the helmet that likely saved the rider from being killed at the scene, Trombley said.
Officers also learned there may have been video that captured the crash as it unfolded, and were working on obtaining the footage as they continued processing the scene.
As it turns out, some Ducati models are factory equipped with integrated radar that is capable of capturing video both from the front, as well as from the rear of the bike for blind-spot detection.
Trombley said there are after-market cameras similar to dash-cams that can be installed on a motorcycle, which can be helpful if a rider is involved in a crash, he said, as the footage can provide a visual of how the crash unfolded and tends to be more accurate than a motorist’s recollection of the incident.
Following the crash, both vehicles sustained heavy damage and were removed from the roadway. The driver of the Mitsubishi was later cited for failing to yield on a left-hand turn and no other injuries were reported.
Traffic was heavily impacted initially when the southbound side of Bluff Street was closed near the scene. Shortly thereafter, traffic was reduced to a single lane for less than an hour. The Utah Department of Transportation’s Incident Management Team also responded to assist with 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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