ST. GEORGE — After pulling off State Route 7 to assist a motorist stuck in the sand nearby, a 28-year-old local man attempted a U-turn in his 2002 Toyota Tundra when his vehicle was struck by another truck traveling westbound, police say.

Utah Highway Patrol, Hurricane City Police and the Hurricane Valley Fire District responded to the crash shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday as several injuries were reported.

“The 28-year-old male sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital by ambulance, though the extent of his injuries are still unknown at this time,” said Trooper Jeff Adams with the Utah Highway Patrol. “[He] was stuck in the vehicle for some time and had to be extricated by fire personnel.”

The second vehicle, a 2021 Ford F150, was driven by a 41-year-old man that sustained minor injuries, Adams said. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts, and airbags deployed in the F150 while those in the T-boned Tundra did not deploy.

There were no other passengers in either vehicle. Both trucks sustained severe damage and were towed from the scene. The full circumstances of the crash are still under investigation, but police indicated that the incident was probably caused by the younger driver’s illegal U-turn.

“The driver of the Toyota Tundra will be issued a citation for the illegal U-turn, but impairment is also being looked at as a factor in the crash,” Adams said. “When you’re on a two-lane road and you have a double-yellow line separating lanes, it is illegal to make U-turns. If you are in an area with a double-yellow line just go down to the next exit and make the turn around safely.”

Adams said there were no obstructions or curves in the road along that part of the road, so it’s likely the younger driver didn’t check to see if there was oncoming traffic before he tried to turn around and head in the direction of Washington City.

Police closed a stretch of Southern Parkway for two hours while first responders assisted the injured motorists and cleared the scene. Since the crash occurred at a fairly busy time, police redirected quite a bit of traffic as commuters were traveling along SR-7.

Adams said the motorist that had been assisted by the younger man had already left prior to the crash.

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

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.