ST. GEORGE — A driver was injured in a rollover on Interstate 15 in Arizona when she reportedly fell asleep at the wheel Sunday morning.
Shortly before 8 a.m. MST officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover on southbound I-15 near mile marker 3 in Arizona involving a silver Toyota Echo, Arizona Highway Patrol Trooper Tom Callister said.
Upon arrival troopers found the car several feet from the outside shoulder in an upright position and extensively damaged, along with the driver who reported minor injuries.
The woman told the trooper she was heading south on the interstate when her car veered toward the inside shoulder of the roadway, and before the vehicle crossed over, she pulled the wheel sharply to the right.
The driver then lost control of the car as it careened to the right and crossed both southbound lanes of traffic, he said. Once the car left the shoulder, it overturned and landed in an upright position.
“The driver claimed she fell asleep at the wheel,” Callister said.
The woman declined to be transported to the hospital and refused emergency medical treatment at the scene but reported minor injuries from the seat belt.
“In this case, the seat belt saved her from sustaining serious injuries during the rollover,” the trooper said.
The driver was cited for speed not reasonable or prudent because she was allegedly driving in a drowsy state, so despite the fact that she wasn’t going over the posted speed limit, she was driving too fast for being fatigued, Callister said.
“This citation can be issued for any condition that would cause an unsafe hazard on the road, and it’s the driver’s responsibility to pull over and rest when they are tired. Otherwise, they can create unsafe conditions for themselves and other drivers,” Callister said.
The vehicle was rendered inoperable and towed from the scene.
Arizona Highway Patrol and Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District responded and tended to the scene.
This report is based on statements from law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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If I have my coordinates correct, this lady crashed just a few miles northeast of Mesquite.
It is unclear if she had come thru the VRG on her way towards Mesquite, but certainly she is lucky her seat belt kept her intact.