Motorcycle collides with truck on LaVerkin twist; 2 transported by Mercy Air

The aftermath of the collision, La Verkin twist, Virgin, Utah, June 7, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News

VIRGIN — Two people were transported by Mercy Air to Sunrise Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas Saturday after their motorcycle collided with a truck near mile marker 15 on State Route 9.

A husband and wife, from Virgin, were traveling on a blue 1999 Harley Davidson westbound down the LaVerkin twist around 3:15 p.m. As they veered around a curve near mile marker 15, they couldn’t make the curve and collided with a 2013 Toyota Tacoma that was traveling eastbound with two passengers: a man, the driver, and his wife. The motorcycle hit the left rear tire of the truck, causing the truck to spin around and face oncoming traffic, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Dan Ferguson.

The aftermath of the collision, La Verkin twist, Virgin, Utah, June 7, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News
The aftermath of the collision, La Verkin twist, Virgin, Utah, June 7, 2014 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News

“It was perfect angle, perfect speed,” Ferguson said, referring to the motorcycle being able to impact the truck with enough force to spin it about 180 degrees.

The couple on the bike had just bought the motorcycle yesterday. After the accident, the man was still slightly coherent and said he wouldn’t be riding a motorcycle again. His wife was picked up by ambulance first, followed by him, and both were transported down to the LaVerkin LDS Church parking lot, where Mercy Air was staged.

Both motorcycle passengers suffered compound fractures in their left legs.

The couple driving the truck, who had traveled from California and were on their way to camp in Zion National Park, suffered minor injuries and no transportation was necessary.

Traffic was delayed in both directions for about an hour, with only one direction of travel being allowed to move at a time.

Both the motorcycle and truck were towed.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by responders on scene and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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18 Comments

  • My Evil Twin June 7, 2014 at 7:39 pm

    Compact fractures?

  • chancie June 7, 2014 at 9:40 pm

    Ok before ya’ll spilling your uneducated crap, and unsolicited opions. It states in the article that full scope of the findings may not be contained. The accident has not been fully investigated yet and the actual cause is unknown yet. And just because it staes that they just bought the bike yesterday does not mean that they were inexperienced riders. It just means that they got a new bike yesterday…..duh. experienced riders get new bikes all the time. So until we know ALL the facts. Keep your IGNORANT comments to yourselves. Thanks

    • St. George Resident June 8, 2014 at 11:34 am

      The article doesn’t give us their driving history, but the biker’s comment about never riding again does give the impression they may have been new riders.

      it’s true that “experienced riders get new bikes all the time.” But how much experience did they have on this particular bike? It doesn’t say.

      Experienced auto drivers get new cars all the time too, and end up in accidents because they aren’t yet intimately familiar with the car. It does make a difference.

    • My Evil Twin June 8, 2014 at 4:49 pm

      Hey Chancie, sounds to me like your education might be lacking a bit, not to mention intelligence. At least your spelling leaves a lot to be desired.
      Any motorcycle rider, experienced or not, new bike or old bike, could probably benefit from a motorcycle rider’s safety course. There is even one offered in St. George.
      It is particularly important for us older riders, that are coming back onto motorcycles after an absence of several years.

      • chancie June 9, 2014 at 3:21 pm

        Oh geez please forgive my spelling error. Guess u never make mistakes do u? So please dont insult my intellgence for a spelling error or lack of punctuatuon. All i was trying say that people shouldnt add insult to injury. All it does is hurt the people that know or maybe dont know what happen. Does that make any sense? We dont know what happen out there. We DO know speed WAS NOT a factor. And not knowing the bike itself is probably the root problem. But people adding comments like “150mph” doesnt help the people who r still trying to make sense of the hell happened out there. Comments and opinions r enevitable, but stop and consider ……. how would u feel if its was people you cared about.

        • My Evil Twin June 9, 2014 at 4:33 pm

          Sure I make mistakes.
          But when you come on here and are insulting people who haven’t even said anything, you’d best be prepared to take some guff. Now I really have to wonder if these are people you care about, or if you just like to run your mouth.

  • Char June 7, 2014 at 9:55 pm

    This is why when I hear someone say to watch out for motorcycles, I get irritated. It is not always the car’s fault like some would lead you to believe. The speed limit here is 55, and they must surely have been going at a good clip to miss the curve. Glad to hear they are ‘OK’ and the man does not want to ride again….at least he recognizes his limitations.

    • Mike June 8, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      Try not to get too irritated. It is not always, but more often the car’s fault. (“I just didn’t see him.”)

      This rider may not have been going faster than the speed limit. It is not only speed that makes negotiating a curve difficult for a inexperienced rider (or a rider on a bike he is not yet familiar with). Before I took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider course and before I spent some time getting used to a new bike I had a scary situation while trying to “muscle” my bike around a curve. A bike takes a lean and counter-steering to negotiate turns safely at anything above parking lot speeds.

      • chancie June 9, 2014 at 3:25 pm

        Thank u Mike…….thank u helping me understand what may have happened out there. I know Jack about bikes. I drive everyday with 18 wheels on the ground. So understanding how a bike manuvers isnt my strongest point. But u just shed a lot of light on the subject.

  • Bystander June 7, 2014 at 11:49 pm

    I think your “compact fracture” needs to be “compound fracture.” There is a compression fracture that could happen mainly in the spine, but not in the femur.

  • KanabCowgirl June 8, 2014 at 12:11 am

    I have been driving the LaVerkin twists for years and I still don’t like them. I have come around some of those corners with someone and their vehicle half way in my lane. Scares me everytime.

  • Kev June 8, 2014 at 8:47 am

    Harley’s are so fast , and handle so good. He was probably doing like 150 through there.

  • My evil twins twin June 9, 2014 at 1:49 pm

    Some times people should stay with bicycles and stay on bike trails. That way if they can’t control what they are riding they won’t be able to hurt the innocent in there cars

    • My Evil Twin June 9, 2014 at 4:34 pm

      Are you my long lost Good Twin? 😉

  • Me June 10, 2014 at 12:50 am

    He is experienced and new bikes sometimes have something wrong with them. They didn’t say everything that happen in the story.

  • Jess June 30, 2014 at 10:21 pm

    He has passed away due to injuries. My prayers go out to this family.

    • Char July 3, 2014 at 11:03 pm

      Who passed away? Where did you hear that? Certainly not on this site as they never give you follow up stories.

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