ST. GEORGE — The driver of a 1997 Chevrolet truck was ejected this afternoon after the truck rolled over and landed in a ravine off State Route 17 near Toquerville around 1:30 p.m.
“The 28-year-old driver of the truck was following a motorhome around a turn,” Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Hicks told St. George News. “The driver of the motorhome decided to slow down and pull off into the gravel. There was another truck between the motorhome and the Chevrolet, and he slowed down, but pulled around the motorhome without incident.”
Hicks said that when the driver of the Chevrolet braked, he lost control of his truck.
“It rolled over and landed perpendicular to the road,” Hicks said. “The driver was ejected into some soft sand and bushes about 15 feet from the truck.”
Hicks said the driver got up and started walking. When a Hurricane Valley Fire District ambulance arrived, the driver declined to go to the hospital, instead opting to go home with his parents.
He had some scrapes and bruises, but was conscious and alert, Hicks said, adding that speed may have been a factor in the accident, as well as failing to maintain proper distance between vehicles.
“It’s so important to maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you,” Hicks said.
The driver was cited for failure to stay in one lane.
Hicks said that there were only minor traffic delays, and Washington County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene to help control traffic and get witness statements.
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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