ST. GEORGE — Authorities have released the name of the Washington County man who was found dead last week following a rollover near the Utah-Arizona border.
The driver who was struck and killed in the southbound lane of Old Dixie Highway 91 has been identified as 36-year-old Robert Willis Anderson, of St. George.
On Jan. 31 shortly after 10:30 p.m. emergency dispatch received a report of a single-vehicle crash on Old Dixie Highway 91. Witnesses said a Toyota 4Runner rolled off the highway near mile marker 2, just north of the Utah-Arizona border, Sgt. Lucas Alfred with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office told St. George News.
Several callers who pulled over to check on the driver of the SUV reported the presence of a disorderly male, who was reportedly attempting to enter their vehicles and “demanding to be taken to Las Vegas, Nevada,” before officers arrived, the sergeant said. This man was later identified as Anderson.
When he was unable to gain entry into any of the vehicles, Anderson laid down in the middle of the southbound lane where he was struck by a vehicle that was heading to Mesquite, Alfred said. Anderson was found in the lane as the first units arrived and pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transported to the medical examiner’s office for autopsy.
The accident reconstruction team was called out to conduct an investigation, while deputies and investigators spoke to multiple witnesses who remained at the scene.
Due to the nature of the incidents, which includes both the rollover and the auto versus pedestrian crash as well as multiple responders and witness accounts, the investigation is expected to take weeks or even longer to complete. No charges or citations have been filed in the case at this point, and Alfred said that family notifications have been made.
Anderson, who was reportedly known by police, was the subject of a St. George News story reported in 2022 when he was arrested and later convicted of aggravated child abuse of a toddler.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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