Driver in St. George suspected of DUI, fleeing 2 crash scenes — the 2nd one on foot

ST. GEORGE — A driver in St. George is suspected of not only being drunk but leaving the scene of two crashes — the second one on foot — Monday evening.

Aftermath of a crash at 800 East and St. George Boulevard, St. George, Utah, April 17, 2023 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Around 5:30 p.m., St. George Police officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of 800 East and St. George Boulevard. What they found was a red pickup truck that had impacted the passenger side of a blue car. The collision sent both vehicles into the southeast corner of the intersection and blocked one of the eastbound lanes on St. George Boulevard.

According to what witnesses told police, the driver of the red pickup truck fled the scene, St. George Police Sgt. Cameron McCullough told St. George News. Witnesses also said the fleeing driver appeared to be intoxicated.

At the time McCullough spoke with St. George News, he said the driver’s identity was known to police and they were searching for him.

Though there is a search underway, the public is not considered to be at risk, he said.

However, the driver of the red pickup is not the one considered to be at fault for the crash on St. George Boulevard. Rather, the other driver was being cited for making a left turn without yielding to oncoming traffic, McCullough said.

At the time the crash occurred, the car was heading westbound on St. George Boulevard and was moving to turn left toward 800 East. While traffic in one of the eastbound lanes stopped for the car so it could pass, the pickup was in the other eastbound lane did not stop and collided with the car.

In this case, it is the responsibility of the driver making the left turn to make sure both lanes are free of traffic, McCullough said.

Aftermath of a crash at 800 East and St. George Boulevard, St. George, Utah, April 17, 2023 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Both vehicles were cleared out of the intersection by 6:30 p.m.

The 800 East St. George Boulevard crash wasn’t the first incident the red pickup truck was involved in that evening, as shortly before that crash, it was part of an incident at 700 South and Bluff Street.

In this instance, a passenger car was stopped at 700 South to go left on Bluff Street when witnesses say the red pickup truck rear-ended it. From there the pickup’s driver backed into a car behind the pickup and then fled north on Bluff Street.

“When officers were responding to that crash, this one (800 East St. George Boulevard) came up,” McCullough said.

Responding to the crash in addition to the St. George police were the St. George Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance and the incident command vehicle from the Utah Department of Transportation, which helped with traffic control and moving inoperable vehicles from the roadways.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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