Driver crashes at State Liquor Store, barely missing 15-foot drop off

Gold Cross emergency medical personnel and St. George City firefighters tend to the driver after a single vehicle crash at the Utah State Liquor Store Wednesday, St. George, Utah, March 22, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A man was transported to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after slamming his truck into a light pole in the parking lot of the Utah State Liquor Store.

The concrete-wrapped pole stopped his vehicle from plunging over a 15-foot drop off, St. George Police Officer Ken Childs said.

A yellow Chevrolet Silverado truck is damaged after it slams into the concrete barrier surrounding a light pole. A 15-foot drop to the ground can see seen beyond where the crash occurred at the Utah State Liquor Store,  St. George, Utah, March 22, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Shortly after 3 p.m. emergency personnel were dispatched to a single vehicle crash at the Utah State Liquor Store located at 161 N. 900 East.

Upon arrival officers found a yellow Chevrolet Silverado had slammed into the concrete barrier surrounding a light pole. An injured man was still inside the truck, Childs said.

The driver, who was unable to exit the truck on his own, was assisted by paramedics and firefighters. The man was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center for evaluation.

A witness at the scene told officers the driver pulled into a parking space and instead of applying the brakes the man hit the gas pedal, which propelled him into the light pole, Childs said.

“It’s a good thing the crash happened where it did,” Childs said, “because had he pulled into the parking space just a few feet to the left he could have easily gone over the side of the wall.”

A wrought iron fence was the only thing standing between the truck and a 15-foot drop off. The force of the impact that sent the truck smashing into the light pole was enough to have broken through the fence, Childs said, and nothing would have stopped it from going over the wall.

Officers also determined that the man had a medical issue at the time of the crash. St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker said EMT’s found irregularities with the driver’s vitals before transporting him to the hospital, which may have contributed to the incident.

The Chevrolet sustained extensive front-end damage in the crash and was subsequently towed from the scene.

No other injuries were reported and damage to the property was confined to the concrete barrier around the light pole in the parking lot of the store.

The St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance responded and tended to the scene.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

 

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4 Comments

  • mmsandie March 23, 2017 at 9:25 am

    Unless he was looking for someplace, he didn,t belong heading to the liquor store.. Oh well upkeep stage auto body repair shops busy..how many times do you heard it the gas pedal instead of the brakes.. One of the biggest reasons is, people who use2 feet to drive.. One on fad and one on brakes.. Your right and left side of the body are controlled by the opposite side of the brain so if it happens that fast , their U.S. another issue with the driver

    • Chris March 23, 2017 at 5:11 pm

      new to the English language? or maybe you just need a drink.

  • wilbur March 23, 2017 at 2:55 pm

    Could someone translate the comment by mmsandie into proper English please?

    • Henry March 23, 2017 at 7:22 pm

      “I just finished my morning bottle of scotch and was driving to the state liquor store for another bottle. As I drove into the parking lot, I saw an accident.”

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