ST. GEORGE — A man was injured Friday night following a rear-end collision with a slower-moving crane on state Route 18.
Utah Highway Patrol responded to the incident involving a silver Maserati passenger car and a mobile crane just after 9 p.m. near mile marker 6 on northbound SR-18.
“We had a giant crane that was trying to make its way up SR-18 right as it was coming out of town,” UHP Trooper Austin Ipson said.
The crane was moving up a hill in the road at about 20 mph, Ipson said, when the driver of the Maserati came up fast from behind and collided with the crane.
The driver of the Maserati was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center by Gold Cross Ambulance.
Though the severity of the Maserati driver’s injuries was unknown at the time this report was taken, he was wearing his seat belt, and the car’s airbags deployed.
“Citations are being looked at for the driver of the Maserati,” Ipson said.
The Maserati sustained heavy front-end damage and was towed away in totaled condition.
“The driver of the crane said that maybe a few parts that are attached to the trailer hitch were damaged,” Ipson said, “however, really minimal damage was sustained on the crane.”
Emergency personnel from the St. George and Winchester Hills fire departments responded to help clean up the wreckage.
Washington County Sheriff’s authorities helped conduct traffic around the crash, which was slowed but mostly unimpeded.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a rear-end collision involving a mobile crane and a Maserati passenger car on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a rear-end collision involving a mobile crane and a Maserati passenger car on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a rear-end collision involving a mobile crane and a Maserati passenger car on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
A mobile crane involved in a rear-end collision on state Route 18 sustains minimal damage, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
A mobile crane involved in a rear-end collision on state Route 18 sustains minimal damage, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
A Maserati passenger car is towed away following a rear-end collision on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
A Maserati passenger car is towed away following a rear-end collision on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Sept. 1, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
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Hope the crane wasn’t damaged.
.
Nice to have back-up equipment on scene for loading up the wreck.
We are used to seeing a crotch-rocket motorcycle lying on the ground, after a testosterone-fueled young man was riding a bike well beyond his skill level, and failed to respond to the circumstances.
Here, in the absence of any further details, it appears we had a vehicle driver who was either distracted by his smartphone, or impaired, and failed to see the tail lights of the slow moving truck, on this steep section of highway.
The motorcyclists are usually found dead, but thanks to modern technology this vehicle driver is alive.
Sure, just issue the driver of the Maserati a citation without even questioning what business a 20 MPH piece of construction equipment has traveling solo on a 65 MPH highway well after dark. The crane should have had escort vehicles. Not sure what the law says but if it says it’s okay to go 45 MPH under the speed limit at night on a dark highway, it’s the law that’s at fault here, not the Maserati driver.
US 18 has a posted speed limit of 55 mph until 1 1/2 miles South of the Ledges exit. So in other words traffic is usually going 65 to 80. Hammer Down!
This crane has the same business driving on the road as any other vehicle. The highways aren’t just for reckless sports car drivers. There’s a big hill right there where the accident occurred. 50% of the Maserati’s weight is engine, compare that the only about 2% for the crane. The crane can probably get up to highway speed on the flat, but it’s obviously going to go slower up steep hills.
Utah law specifies that some vehicles must have escorts for travelling at night. Vehicles that are over 10′ wide and 100′ long. This crane doesn’t look like either.
There can be all kinds of things in the road: rolled rocks, or deer, or trees blown over by the wind. None of these things even have lights. It’s the responsibility of all drivers to make sure they don’t run their own car into something that might be moving fast, slow, or even stationary.
The crane is licensed and street legal. The road at that location is 2 lanes in each direction. Crane probably had flashers going at that speed too. Sports car should have been paying attention and just drove around the crane.
“Crane probably had flashers going” You know that how? The crane may be street legal, but that does not mean it was being operated legally. Without more details, it is not possible to jump to a valid conclusion about who was to blame.
So you want to argue whether or not road is 2 lanes in each direction too ? Or whether or not driver was paying attention?
However, I’m almost 100% sure on first 2 assumptions. But it doesn’t matter, Maserati guy was only vehicle cited so that should say something.
You mean you need to watch the road when you are driving?
Awww C’mon – nobody thought to say (or sing), My Maserati does 185, I lost my license now I don’t drive…..
Just ’cause you can afford one, doesn’t mean you have the brains to drive one…..
“My Maserati does 185,” I rear-ended a crane, now I don’t drive. 🙂