Utah Highway Patrol – St George News

TOQUERVILLE — A married couple on their way to Arizona were thrown off course Tuesday afternoon when a semitrailer passed alongside them on southbound Interstate 15, at milepost 29, near Toquerville, causing the wife driving a Trailblazer pulling a travel trailer to lose control of the vehicle.

A camp trailer lays on its left side following its crash on I-15, near Toquerville, Utah, Feb. 17, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

A travel trailer flipped on its side after a driver loses control on I-15, near milepost 29, Toquerville, Utah, Feb. 17, 2015 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

At approximately 3 p.m., the woman and her husband, who were traveling from Boise, Idaho to Yuma, Arizona, were in the right-hand lane on I-15 when a semitrailer passed them in the left-hand lane, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Hicks said. The impact from the air in passing threw the woman driver off guard and she lost control of her vehicle.

The travel trailer they were pulling, whipped from side-to-side, hit the guard rail, jackknifed and landed on its side as the driver overcorrected, attempting to regain control of the vehicle, he said.

The man and woman were both wearing their seat belts and no injuries were reported, Hicks said.

A Chevrolet Trailblazer sustained damage following collision on I-15, near milepost 29, Toquerville, Utah, Feb. 17, 2015 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

The Trailblazer sustained moderate damage, while the travel trailer was totaled.

No citations were issued, Hicks said.

The right southbound traffic lane was closed for approximately an hour, slowing and backing up traffic for about three miles, Hicks said. The lane was reopened just after 4:30 p.m.

Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Highway Patrol, Leeds Fire Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office attended 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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NEW HARMONY — A man was transported to the hospital Saturday night after he passed out while driving a semitrailer loaded with bananas on Interstate 15, near milepost 38, and crashed.

At approximately 8:10 p.m., the man was heading north on the interstate when he began having chest pain and passed out, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Hicks said.

The semitrailer first drifted to the right where it struck a concrete barrier, Hicks said. That impact then forced the vehicle to the left where it went into the median and struck a cable barrier, bringing it to a stop.

“It took out about 85 of those metal posts in the cable barrier,” Hicks said. “It just stopped it.”

No other vehicles were involved in the collision, Hicks said. Other than the driver’s initial medical problems, he is not believed to have been injured by the crash, he said.

Life Flight was originally called to respond to the incident, UHP Trooper Evan Kirby said, but was later canceled. The driver was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George and kept overnight for evaluation.

Traffic was not greatly impacted by the collision because of the location in the median where the semitrailer ended up, Hicks said. Luckily, the semitrailer did not flip or dump its load of bananas.

No citations were issued, Hicks said, and neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be a factor in the collision.

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

St. George News Reporter Cami Cox Jim contributed to this report.

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ST. GEORGE – The man involved in a rollover on northbound Interstate 15, near milepost 16, Tuesday has died after succumbing to his injuries sustained as a result of the crash, Utah Highway Patrol confirmed Wednesday.

At approximately 2:24 p.m., 80-year-old Lynn Wilde, of Leeds, sustained fatal injuries after the Suzuki Sidekick he was driving went off the right side of the northbound lanes, vaulted off a small cliff and rolled at least two times.

A man died after being ejected from his SUV during a rollover on I-15 near Leeds, Washington County, Utah, March 3, 2015 | Photo by Devan Chavez, St. George News

Wilde was ejected out the passenger side window of the Suzuki as it rolled. UHP spokesmen said they believe the man was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision.

Three separate auto collisions reportedly occurred in the area within 20 minutes and 3 miles of each other Tuesday, as a storm was passing through the area. Troopers were attending to two other collisions near milepost 18 when they were called to the scene of the Suzuki rollover.

When troopers responded, they found several cars had slid off the highway onto the shoulder and center divider, and authorities said a woman driving a white Honda Accord may have been involved in the rollover collision.

“We’re not sure if the two made contact,” Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Danny Ferguson said. “We do know that the Honda hit the slush on the hill and started to spin out of control.”

The woman driving the Honda did not suffer any reported injuries, Ferguson said, and remained on scene during the investigation.

Hurricane Fire and Rescue transported Lynn Wilde to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George in critical condition where he was later pronounced dead.

While the crash is still under investigation as to why the Suzuki left the roadway, reports from the scene indicated heavy amounts of hail and rain on the freeway beginning at mile marker 16.

Wilde’s son Scott Wilde said he wasn’t certain where his father was heading when the rollover occurred. On the rare occasions his father did drive, Scott Wilde said, it was usually to the post office in Leeds or to St. George.

“My dad was not speeding,” he said, “I assure you of that.”

Scott Wilde said his father had just celebrated his 80^th birthday on Feb. 1.

“He was able to make it to his 80^th birthday by a whole month – that was his goal,” Scott Wilde said. “I was thinking he probably had another 10 years in him but I guess not.”

Lynn Wilde, who leaves behind a wife, 11 children, 28 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, moved from St. George to Leeds about 21 years ago.

“My dad was my dad,” Scott Wilde said. “He and I butted heads a lot but I loved the crap out of him and he’s got a lot of kids that are quite devastated right now – and grandkids and great-grandkids. The family is taking this very hard.”

St. George News Reporter Devan Chavez contributed to this report.

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ST. GEORGE — A collision between a white SUV and a motorcycle slowed eastbound traffic along the diverging diamond interchange on St. George Boulevard Thursday evening.

At 5:02 p.m., a man driving a motorcycle was turning left after exiting southbound Interstate 15 at Exit 8 onto St. George Boulevard when he was sideswiped by a white SUV traveling east through the intersection onto the overpass on St. George Boulevard, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Mike Murphy said.

A collision between a motorcycle and a white SUV shut down traffic on the I-15 overpass on St. George Boulevard, St. George, Utah, March 12, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

On impact, the motorcycle spun around and received damage to the saddleback area, Murphy said, while the SUV was damaged on the right front fender.

Both drivers refused medical treatment and neither reported any injuries, he said.

The motorcycle driver was in his biker attire and wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

The left eastbound lane along the interchange was shut down during cleanup. The motorcycle was towed and the SUV was driven from the scene.

Gold Cross Ambulance, Utah Department of Transportation, St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department and Utah Highway Patrol attended to the accident scene.

The driver of the SUV was cited for failure to yield to a traffic control device.

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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WASHINGTON CITY – Traffic backed up for 3 miles on northbound Interstate 15 Tuesday afternoon after the tire tread blew off of an SUV, resulting in three separate collisions between six vehicles.

Shortly after 5 p.m., a woman driving a red Dodge SUV was traveling north on I-15 near milepost 12 when the tread on her left rear tire blew off, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Danny Ferguson said.

Collision one – red Dodge SUV versus white Ford Focus No. 1

When the tire tread blew off, Ferguson said, it scared the woman, causing her to jerk the steering wheel and swerve to the left and hit the guard rail.

“After she hit the guard rail, then she came back trying to get off of the road onto the right shoulder and she didn’t notice the little white Ford (Focus) behind her and she clipped it as she was getting off into the emergency lane,” Ferguson said.

Collision two – white Ford Focus No. 2 versus red Toyota truck

The red Dodge SUV and the white Ford Focus were able to move out of traffic into the emergency lane. However, the tire tread from the SUV was still out in the left lane of travel when another white Ford Focus came along.

“He slowed down pretty much to a stop from what I understand,” Ferguson said, “and he was abruptly rear-ended by the red Toyota truck.”

After the red Toyota truck crashed into the back of the white Ford Focus, a white Toyota truck, also traveling in the fast lane, came up behind the red Toyota truck, Ferguson said.

Collision three – white Toyota truck versus black Ford truck

The driver of the white Toyota truck was able to stop before crashing into the vehicle in front of him. However, when he stopped, he was abruptly hit by a black Ford truck that came up behind him.

The six cars collided within 100 yards of each other, Ferguson said, but not a single injury was reported as a result of the collisions.

And the citations go to

At the scene, Ferguson said citations would likely be issued to:

the driver of the red Dodge SUV for the equipment for the tires, and the lane travel for clipping Ford Focus No.1
the driver of the red Toyota truck for rear-ending the white Ford Focus No. 2
the driver of the black Ford truck for rear-ending the white Toyota truck

“The third one, they weren’t stopping for the debris,” Ferguson said, “they just weren’t paying attention.”

Impacts

The red Toyota truck and the black Ford truck had to be towed from the scene.

“They got pretty decent front-end damage,” Ferguson said. “The fenders came back into the tires so they weren’t movable.”

Traffic was backed up to at least mile marker 9, Ferguson said. By 6 p.m., the 3 mile backup began to breakup and traffic was moving steadily again.

“All this was actually avoidable if she would have had better equipment and the right size tires,” Ferguson said of the Dodge SUV, “and had the other ones just been paying a little bit more attention.”

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

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Traffic backed up for 3 miles on northbound Interstate 15 after the tire tread blew off of an SUV, resulting in three separate collisions between six vehicles, Washington, Utah, March 17, 2015 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, for St. George News

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WASHINGTON CITY — One woman is dead and a man is injured following a single-vehicle rollover Sunday afternoon on Landfill Road in Washington City.

At 4:41 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to Landfill Road where a blue Subaru passenger car, occupied by a man and woman both in their 40s, had been traveling south when the driver of the Subaru failed to negotiate a turn and the vehicle rolled before landing on its top, Washington City Police Public Information Officer Ed Kantor said.

Emergency responders investigate a rollover on Landfill Road, Washington City, Utah, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

Emergency responders investigate a fatal rollover on Landfill Road, Washington City, Utah, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

The woman was pronounced dead on arrival at the scene as a result of the rollover while the man was attended to by medical responders for injuries, Kantor said. At the time of this publication, Kantor said he did not know the extent of man’s injuries.

Contributing factors in the rollover are under investigation.

“The only factor we can determine at this point is failure to negotiate a turn,” Kantor said. “We can’t speculate on whether speed is a factor.”

Whether or not seat belts were worn as well as which person was driving the vehicle at the time of the rollover is unknown as this report is published.

The Washington City Police Department, Washington City Fire Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol and Gold Cross Ambulance responded 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.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Emergency responders investigate a fatal rollover on Landfill Road, Washington City, Utah, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

Washington City Police officers investigate a fatal rollover on Landfill Road Sunday afternoon, Washington City, Utah, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

A woman died and a man was injured in a rollover on Landfill Road, Washington City, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

The Washington City Police Department responds to a fatal rollover on Landfill Road Sunday afternoon, Washington City, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

The Washington City Police Department and the Utah Highway Patrol respond to a fatal rollover on Landfill Road Sunday afternoon, Washington City, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

Emergency responders investigate a fatal rollover on Landfill Road, Washington City, Utah, March 22, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

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ST. GEORGE – A Utah Highway Patrol trooper intercepted and arrested two drug runners Sunday transporting 10 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of half a million dollars during a traffic stop on Interstate 15.

At approximately 2:17 p.m., Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Terry initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle on northbound Interstate 15 near milepost 1 because the vehicle’s registration was not on file, according to a probable cause statement written by Terry in support of the arrests.

Adalberto Reyes-Rivera, of Carter Lake, Iowa, booking photo posted March 22, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s booking, St. George News

Terry made contact with the two men occupying the vehicle, later identified as 38-year-old Adalberto Reyes-Rivera, of Carter Lake, Iowa and 37-year-old Blas Figueroa-Jacinto, of Omaha, Nebraska.

The trooper explained the registration violation to Figueroa-Jacinto, the driver of the vehicle, and asked for his driver’s license, the statement said. Figueroa-Jacinto handed the trooper an identification from Mexico, and the vehicle registration, which was in both the driver’s and passenger’s names.

Terry asked Figueroa-Jacinto to wait in his patrol car while he asked Reyes-Rivera, the passenger of the vehicle, some questions about their trip.

“(Reyes-Rivera) stated they were on vacation for one day in Nevada,” Terry wrote in the statement. “He stated they went on vacation from Nebraska to Nevada for one day to see the beautiful land of Nevada.”

Reyes-Rivera also told the trooper they didn’t visit anyone in Nevada or go anywhere else and that they were on their way to see the land of Colorado, according to the statement.

The trooper then returned to his patrol car to speak with Figueroa-Jacinto.

“(Figueroa-Jacinto) stated they went to Arizona for 3 days to see it,” Terry wrote in the statement.

Blas Figueroa-Jacinto, of Omaha, Nebraska, booking photo posted March 22, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s booking, St. George News

While waiting for records to return, the trooper deployed his police narcotics K-9 on the outside of the vehicle, the statement said. The K-9 indicated the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.

“A probable cause search revealed 9 pounds of methamphetamine in the tailgate of the truck,” Terry wrote in the statement, “and 1 pound of methamphetamine in the rear back seat in a backpack.”

The wholesale price of 10 pounds of methamphetamine is around $100,000 to $160,000, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Hicks said, with a street value of around $500,000.

Both Reyes-Rivera and Figueroa-Jacinto were arrested and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.

While Reyes-Rivera was being searched during booking, a white powdery substance was located inside a one dollar bill folded several times into a square in his wallet. The substance tested positive for cocaine.

Reyes-Rivera was charged with two second-degree felonies for drug possession and drug possession with the intent to distribute, and a class B misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Figueroa-Jacinto was charged with a second-degree felony for drug possession with the intent to distribute, a class B misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia, and a class C misdemeanor for never obtaining a driver’s license.

Judge John J. Walton, of the 5^th District Court, ordered Reyes-Rivera’s cash-only bail amount set at $55,000 during his initial court appearances Tuesday. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance on March 30, where he will be represented by court-appointed attorney Douglas Terry.

Walton ordered Figueroa-Jacinto’s cash-only bail amount set at $50,000 during his initial court appearances Tuesday. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance on March 30, where he will be represented by court-appointed attorney Michael Lastowski.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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ST. GEORGE – A bill toughening the state’s seat belt laws for a three-year trial period was signed by Gov. Gary Herbert Monday.

House Bill 79, the Safety Belt Law Amendments, creates a three-year pilot program that makes not wearing a seat belt a primary offense, meaning law enforcement can stop drivers for the offense alone. Before HB 79, not using the seat belt was a secondary offense, meaning the officer had to pull a car over for some other reason first.

Under the pilot program, a driver or a passenger 16 years and older who is not wearing a seat belt can be issued a warning on first offense, and a $45 citation on the second offense. The fine can be waived by taking a 30-minute course approved by the Utah Department of Safety.

After the trial period, the pilot program will sunset and seat belt offenses from July 1, 2018, and following may only be brought against anyone 19 or older and only then if they are pulled over for a violation other than failure to wear a seat belt.

Rep. Lee Perry, R-Perry, who sponsored the bill, and also works as a Utah Highway Patrol lieutenant, pushed for the bill’s passage. Perry said he has personally seen the tragic results of auto accidents where seat belts were not used.

“You can talk to any police officer who has been on a traffic accident who can absolutely say that a seat belt minimized an injury or helped saved a life,” St. George Police Sgt. Sam Despain said.

“We, as a police department, always encourage everybody to buckle up,” Despain said. “Statistics show seat belts save lives.”

Prior to HB 79’s passing, attempts to pass stricter seat belt laws died in the Legislature, as some lawmakers saw it as a potential infringement on personal freedom.

One such bill was the 2013 Senate Bill 114. It sought to make wearing a seat belt on Utah’s highways a primary offense, yet ultimately died in session that year. Bryan Hyde, a radio talk show host and a columnist for St. George News, wrote about SB 114 and his general objection to seat belt laws:

The problem with seat belt laws is that they are a gross misuse of state power …. Making a seat belt violation into a primary offense sidetracks police officers from actual crimes involving real, not imaginary, injured parties. It invites the state into our lives for reasons that have nothing to do with protecting our rights or promoting justice. Given the increasingly intrusive nature of the state, the less contact we have with members of its extractive branch, the better off we are.

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Marty Carpenter, a spokesman for Herbert, said the governor signed the bill because seat belts can save lives.

“It’s something we should allow our highway patrolmen to make stops for, and remind people they should be wearing their seat belt,” Carpenter said.

HB 79 was signed along with 55 other bills Monday that are a part of the total 528 pieces of legislation that passed during the 2015 session of the Utah Legislature. Also signed in that batch of bill was House Bill 11, which allows the use of firing squads for executions if drugs for lethal injection cannot be obtained.

To date, Herbert has signed 144 of the 528 bills.

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CEDAR CITY – Less than 10 days prior to Utah Highway Patrol’s 10-pound drug bust Sunday on Interstate 15, a newly trained Cedar City Police K-9 aided in the discovery of 12 pounds of methamphetamine in the spare tire of another vehicle traveling on I-15.

On March 12, during a routine traffic stop around 7 p.m. on northbound Interstate 15, near milepost 51, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Ryan Bauer spoke with Juan Pablo Sanchez, 30, of Santa Ana, California, who told the sergeant he was just traveling to Colorado.

Juan Pablo Sanchez, Iron County Jail, Cedar City, Utah, March 13, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Iron County Bookings, St. George News

However, Bauer said something about Sanchez’s demeanor and inability to easily answer simple questions made him suspect there was more going on than a simple road trip.

“There were things that he was telling me about what he was doing and where he was going that were not making sense,” Bauer said. “They were very vague answers. He was being kind of evasive – didn’t know some answers to some pretty simple questions – very nervous. Anyway, a lot of those things started adding up to making me believe that there was something more than a regular traffic stop.”

Sanchez’s demeanor prompted Bauer to request K-9 assistance.

Newly trained Cedar City Police K-9 Duco and his handler, Officer Clint Pollock, were on the scene within ten minutes, and it wasn’t long before Duco indicated there were drugs present in the vehicle, but a thorough search yielded no results at first.

Concentrating on the specific areas where Duco alerted to drugs, Bauer said he realized the spare tire had more than just air in it.

“Inside of the tire packaged in plastic was approximately 12 lbs. of methamphetamine,” Bauer wrote in a statement of probable cause. “The street value of this much methamphetamine would be approximately $500,000.”

Sanchez was arrested and booked into the Iron County Jail on March 13 where he remains on a $30,000 cash-only bail while authorities continue to investigate leads attempting to locate the drug source.

The case has been turned over to the State Bureau of Investigations and the assigned Iron County Drug Task Force agent and the DEA, making it a federal investigation, because Sanchez crossed state lines while transporting the methamphetamine.

Bauer said there is no question in his mind that without Duco’s help, the drugs may not have been found at all and Sanchez would not be in custody.

The benefits of a police K-9

Pollock said there are a variety of creative hiding places that drug runners use to smuggle drugs. Many of those areas, he said, such as door panels and hidden compartments, are easily found. However, some areas are more difficult.

Pollock said with the help of a K-9, he once found drugs welded into an air compressor unit; an impossible feat without the help of his four-legged friend.

Cedar City Police Officer Clint Pollock with his new K-9 Duco, Cedar City, Utah, March 12, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Department, St. George News

Duco is the second police dog that Pollock said he has worked with in his 10 years with the Police Department. He said his first dog, Voodoo, unofficially retired when Duco graduated from the K-9 training program in December 2014.

The training program is 8 weeks of intensive instruction that teaches everything from scent memorization and differentiation to obedience.

“When we get them to that point,” Pollock said, “then we have to certify them and go through a certification with instructors and judges of K-9’s to make sure that the dogs are performing like they are supposed to and indicating on the odors.”

The K-9’s are taught to smell for marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, he said. Some of each drug is hidden throughout the course without the handler’s knowledge of where they are. Then the handler and his dog traverse the course sniffing out the substances.

“Once you certify, then you have to maintain that certification,” Pollock said. “You have to go through a weekly training to maintain their proficiency so every week we do four hours of drug training.”

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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ST. GEORGE – Ex-NASCAR racer Timothy Tyler Andrew Walker was sentenced in 5th District Court Monday morning for a high-speed chase that ran through three states in early 2013.

Walker, 33, of Hermosa Beach, California, appeared in court dressed in an orange-and-white jumpsuit from the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility and stood with his attorney Trevor Terry before Judge Eric Ludlow.

That would have been the scene on March 16, minus the jail jumpsuit, had Walker arrived on time to his hearing. Instead, he entered the court about 45 minutes after his scheduled appearance and was taken into custody after a no-bail warrant was issued by the court.

Timothy Tyler Andrew Walker, of Hermosa, California, booking photo posted March 15, 2015 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff's Office, St. George News

Timothy Tyler Andrew Walker, of Hermosa Beach, California, booking photo posted March 15, 2015 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

Terry addressed the court and noted that a presentencing report recommended Walker be sentenced to 90 days in prison. He said that was a bit steep for a first felony offense. Instead, he asked if the court would allow home confinement instead.

Ludlow opted instead for the 90 days in jail and 36 months supervised probation for Walker.

Walker pleaded guilty on Dec. 23 to felony and misdemeanor charges related to failure to stop at an officer’s command, driving under the influence and drug possession. The charges stem from a Jan. 30, 2013, high-speed chase that ran from Nevada through Arizona and ended in Utah. Law enforcement involved clocked Walker’s car traveling at over 140 mph during the chase.

In the car with Walker at the time was Raelle McDonald, also of Hermosa Beach, California. She was arrested along with Walker on drug charges. She pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2014 and was given 36 months probation.

Terry said his client had been involved in a 60-day substance abuse treatment program and recommended Walker be put into a similar program again once he is released from jail. He also said Walker getting treatment was a big focus for the state.

“I don’t think he’s out of the woods yet as far as his substance abuse goes,” Terry said.

He added that Walker was in a better spot than he was two years ago, yet also a worst spot.

Walker acted cocky and arrogant when they first met, Terry said. Walker was living a lavish lifestyle at the time and driving expensive cars like the high-end BMW used in the high-speed chase. That is no longer the case, though, and that is a good thing, Terry said.

“Tyler’s not out of the woods, but he’s in a better place now,” Terry said, adding Walker’s family has been very supportive through the court process.

Walker’s parents were among those seated in the court gallery.

Walker, who has been in the county jail since March 16, said the last two weeks have given him time to think and to write down goals for himself and evaluate where he is going.

“(It’s) given me a lot of clarity on where I’d like my life to go,” Walker said.

Walker apologized to other drivers and law enforcement he put at risk on Interstate 15 during the 2013 incident. He also apologized to the court for being late to the last hearing.

“It does appear you’re a different person,” Ludlow said, yet added, “The court cannot overlook that you put others in danger.”

Ludlow revisited elements of the 2013 high-speed chase as he told Walker his actions put himself, his passenger and so many others on I-15 at great risk.

Members of the Nevada Highway Patrol, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Utah Highway Patrol were each involved in the chase. It didn’t end until the tires of Walker’s BMW were blown out near Utah Exit 4 on northbound I-15.

Once pulled over, Walker attempted to flee on foot but was tackled by Arizona DPS troopers. Reportedly under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, or both, at the time, Walker told the troopers he thought they were escorting him to Colorado.

No rational person would have thought that, Ludlow said.

“Obviously that’s twisted,” he said.

Ludlow sentenced Walker to serve 90 days in the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility with a subsequent 36 months of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay a $1,665 fine.

If Walker violates the conditions of probation, he could face up to five years in prison for felonies and misdemeanors attached to the chase.

Charges out of Arizona and Nevada connected to the case have also been resolved.

Walker was a professional race car driver who had raced on the NASCAR circuit and other racing circuits. He was suspended from NASCAR racing in 2007 for alleged drug use.

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LEEDS – Seat belts and airbags helped a northern Utah couple escape serious injury in an accident on Interstate 15 Friday morning near milepost 23 in Leeds.

At about 9:47 a.m., a couple driving a gold Toyota Camry were traveling northbound on I-15 in the left lane, abreast with a red pickup truck, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Hintze said.

The truck started changing lanes right into the Camry, which swerved left to avoid being hit, Hintze said. The Camry went off the left shoulder and then traveled back across both lanes of traffic, striking a concrete barrier head-on on the right side of the roadway. The Camry was heavily damaged.

“Both passengers in the gold sedan, an elderly couple, were wearing seat belts,” Hintze said, “and, with the airbags, had very, very minor injuries.”

The couple declined to be transported to the hospital and instead caught a ride back to St. George with the tow truck driver, Hintze said.

“They did what they were supposed to do – they were wearing their seat belts in conjunction with that airbag. It really saved them from getting really hurt, because that was actually a really bad accident,” Hintze said. “Seat belts, seat belts, seat belts – that’s all we can say.”

Hintze said the troopers had very little information about the red pickup truck and have not been able to locate the driver of the truck at the time of this publication.

The pickup truck is considered the cause of the accident, “making a really improper lane change,” Hintze said. If found, the driver of the truck will be cited.

No citations were issued at the scene in connection with the accident.

One lane of I-15 was closed down for about 30 minutes while the accident was attended to. Being able to keep one lane open kept the traffic delay to a minimum, Hintze said.

“The tow company, that’s what we rely on to get out of here quick,” Hintze said. “They got up here very fast, so we’re very appreciative of that.”

Utah Highway Patrol, Dixie Auto Body & Towing and Gold Cross Ambulance and responded to the scene.

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

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UHP troopers help at the scene of an accident on I-15 near Leeds, Utah, April 3, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News

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HURRICANE – Four people, including a 3-year-old boy, were taken to the hospital Friday afternoon after a single-vehicle rollover on Interstate 15 in Washington County. A man and his wife who witnessed the accident pulled over and aided the victims while waiting for first responders to arrive.

Utah Highway Patrol troopers and other agencies responded to a single-vehicle rollover on I-15 near milepost 16 that sent four people to the hospital, Washington County, Utah, April 10, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Jeff Vogel and his wife were traveling home to Cedar City on northbound I-15, just past Exit 16, at about 3:30 p.m. when they saw the accident occur. They witnessed a red Subaru Outback on southbound I-15 veer off the road into the median and start to roll.

“Smoke was going up in the air and all the dirt and debris was scattering everywhere, so I told my wife to pull over … and we did basic first aid on the victims,” Vogel said.

Four people – a woman, two teenage girls and a 3-year-old boy – were inside the Subaru when it rolled. Vogel said the woman appeared to have head trauma, and he administered basic first aid until the Utah Highway Patrol and other agencies arrived.

Vogel, a helicopter pilot with Upper Limit Aviation in Cedar City, said he used to be a combat lifesaver with the United States Marine Corps; he has basic knowledge to deal with combat injuries, so he did what he could for the accident victims.

Utah Highway Patrol troopers and other agencies respond to a single-vehicle rollover on I-15 near milepost 16, Washington County, Utah, April 10, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“I just did what I could with the best I had and waited,” Vogel said.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Hintze called Vogel a good Samaritan for aiding the victims.

The woman with the apparent head trauma had her neck supported by Vogel when UHP and other agencies arrived on scene, Hintze said.

The 3-year-old appeared to have an abrasion on his head from getting bounced around during the rollover, but there didn’t appear to be any other sign of injury. The child was properly restrained in a booster seat when the rollover occurred, Hintze said.

Hintze said the two teenagers were outside the Subaru and walking around when he arrived. They appeared shaken up but otherwise fine.

Utah Highway Patrol troopers and other agencies respond to a single-vehicle rollover on I-15 near milepost 16, Washington County, Utah, April 10, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

All occupants of the vehicle were taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center by ambulance, Hintze said. All of them had their seat belts on when the accident occurred, he added.

“The main thing on this, what hopefully causes it to be not so serious, is that all occupants were wearing their seat belts, which, in conjunction with the rollover and the momentum, could have possibly saved their lives,” Hintze said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, though drowsy driving may have been a possible factor, he said.

Traffic on northbound and southbound I-15 passing by milepost 16 was reduced to a crawl for about 30-45 minutes as responders dealt with the accident.

Agencies that responded to the incident included the Utah Highway Patrol, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Leeds Area Fire Department and Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue.

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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Utah Highway Patrol troopers and other agencies respond to a single-vehicle rollover on I-15 near milepost 16, Washington County, Utah, April 10, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

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SALT LAKE CITY — The 2nd District Court for the State of Utah issued a decision Thursday in Romero v. Utah Highway Patrol, denying the motion of three proposed class plaintiffs to certify the case they filed against former UHP Trooper Lisa Steed as a class action. If the court had allowed a class action against the former trooper, potentially hundreds of people whom Steed arrested for DUI could have joined the case against her.

The court agreed with UHP and Steed that each arrest would have to be viewed in light of all the facts and circumstances surrounding that arrest, which would make it impracticable to allow plaintiffs to proceed as a class.

A press release issued Thursday by the Utah Attorney General’s Office issued said:

The proposed Class Members’ traffic stops occurred over a period of several years, at various locations, at different times of the day, and for differing reasons. These differences must be considered when determining whether reasonable suspicion and probable cause existed under the totality of circumstances of each traffic stop. The Court finds that this type of analysis is not appropriate for class certification, as individual issues will predominate in the course of the litigation.

Assistant Attorney General Meb Anderson, who represents Steed, said this was a very important decision.

“We believed all along that the law supported our position that a class cannot be certified when each arrest has to be examined separately,” Anderson said, as quoted in the press release. “After reviewing the hundreds of pages of argument, and after hearing argument for over an hour, the Court agreed with us.”

Anderson said Steed was happy with the decision. He added Steed has maintained that her arrests were lawful, and she is ready to defend her actions in the individual cases that remain.

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ST. GEORGE – A 25-year-old St. George man was killed Saturday morning when his truck left the road on Southern Parkway, crossed the median, and rolled onto the shoulder.

A St. George man was killed when his truck rolled over on Southern Parkway Saturday morning. St. George, Utah, April 11, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Danny Ferguson said the man was eastbound just past River Road about 5 a.m. when, for an unknown reason, the Ford F-150 he was driving spun, crossed the median and rolled end-over-end onto the shoulder of the westbound lane. The driver, who troopers do not believe was wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the truck and died instantly. There were no passengers.

The accident was so violent, Ferguson said, both axles and the rocker arms were torn from the truck and landed several feet away. The truck was unrecognizable until the wrecker called to the scene pulled it upright. The truck was so embedded in the shoulder that extricating it caused the front wheels of the wrecker to lift several feet off the ground.

A passerby notified the St. George Communications Center immediately following the accident, but did not stay at the scene, Ferguson said. St. George Police Department was first to arrive, followed by Gold Cross Ambulance. Paramedics pronounced the driver dead.

The name of the driver is being withheld pending notification of his family.

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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A St. George man was killed when his truck rolled over on Southern Parkway Saturday morning. St. George, Utah, April 11, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

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WASHINGTON CITY – Travel on southbound Interstate 15 became a snail crawl after a pair of accidents occurred between mileposts 14 and 15 Saturday afternoon.

Just after 4:30 p.m., a white pickup hauling a mini-excavator on southbound I-15 went off the road and into the median near milepost 14 after a tire on the trailer carrying the load blew out, causing the driver to lose control, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Hintze said.

“It took out some cable barrier and damaged both the truck and trailer, but there were no injuries – just state property and the individual’s truck were damaged,” Hintze said.

The mini-excavator fell out of the trailer during the crash and landed on its side in the median, though it was eventually righted by responders.

“The only thing that really survived was the (mini-excavator),” Hintze said.

Both the truck and trailer had to be towed away.

Two men and a 10-year-old boy were in the truck when it crashed. Hintze said none of them were injured and all were wearing seat belts.

The driver of the truck was cited for issues related to his driver’s license, the trooper said.

While Hintze tended to the accident at milepost 14, another accident happened at southbound I-15, just south of Exit 16.

As the UHP and units from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office were preparing to close one of the southbound lanes ahead of the milepost 14 crash, a two-car accident occurred nearby that rendered both cars inoperable and required them to be towed.

Though UHP officials said the accident was minor and no injuries were reported, it nonetheless tied up southbound traffic until about 6 p.m., when the scene was eventually cleared.

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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CEDAR CITY – A man traveling west on Highway 14 in Cedar Canyon was transported to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries after losing control of his motorcycle on the slippery gravel and crashing near milepost 4.

Motorcycle accident in Cedar Canyon, Highway 14, milepost 4, Cedar City, Utah, April 24, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George

Utah Highway Patrol was alerted to the accident when a call came in to dispatch by a driver who had passed the incident at about 2:20 p.m., UHP Sgt. Ryan Bauer said.

The motorcyclist had started to suddenly feel sick, Baur said, and when he tried to pull his bike over, he lost control in the gravel on the side of the road.

The man was transported to Valley View Medical Center in Cedar City via Iron County Ambulance with minor injuries.

Drugs, alcohol or excessive speed were not contributing factors in the crash, Bauer said, and the rider was not issued any kind of citation.

Bauer said motorcycles are on the road more at this time of year and it’s important for drivers to use extra caution when they are out driving and be more aware of their surroundings.

“As we come into the summer season we start to see a lot more motorcycle accidents, on canyon roads and in general,” he said. “People just need to be more careful and watch out for motorcycles. And to the people who are driving motorcycles, be really careful,” he added.

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Motorcycle accident in Cedar Canyon, Highway 14, milepost 4, Cedar City, Utah, April 24, 2015 | Photo by Carin Miller, St. George

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WASHINGTON COUNTY – Slick road conditions created by rainy weather are believed to have played a role in two rollovers on Interstate 15 Saturday.

A Toyota Prius rolled on southbound I-15 near milepost 17 after hydroplaning. No one was injured in the crash, Washington County, Utah, April 25, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

On southbound I-15 near milepost 17, a Toyota Prius was moving too fast for present road conditions and hydroplaned, Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Chris Terry said.

The driver lost on control of the Prius and it veered off the road and up the side of an embankment until it rolled. The car came to a stop aftering flipping onto its roof facing north.

A man and his daughter traveling in the car were wearing their seat belts and escaped injury, Terry said.

“A paramedic arrived on scene and she assessed it and said there were no injuries,” Terry said, adding that an ambulance crew that showed up soon after confirmed no one had been harmed.

The driver was not issued a citation in connection with the accident.

While UHP troopers tended to the scene, the Utah Department of Transportation was also on hand to help divert traffic around the accident.

Some of the vehicles that passed by the rollover looked like they were also going too fast for present conditions, said Todd Abbott, UDOT roadway operations manager.

A truck rolled off northbound Interstate Leeds, Utah. April 25, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

“With all the rain – light rain at times or heavy rain – you need to reduce your speed,” Abbott said.

Abbott also advises motorists to take time to check their tires, or risk having little to no traction on rainy roadways when you have to hit the brakes. Traveling at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you is also encouraged, he said.

“We want everybody to arrive alive and hopefully everybody wears their seat belts,” he said.

Another rollover occurred prior to the one near milepost 17 around 2:30 p.m.

This time, on northbound I-15, a driver lost control of his pickup truck. The truck went off the roadway around milepost 23 and went down a hill until coming to a stop on its side against a tree.

Wet road conditions are also believed to have been a factor in this accident. Despite the rollover, the driver appeared unharmed.

A truck rolled off northbound Interstate Leeds, Utah. April 25, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

“The driver is up and walking around. Didn’t get hurt. He was lucky. There are skid marks a quarter mile back there,” said Scott Lowrey, a Bureau of Land Management agent who was one of the individuals responoding 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.

St. George News reporter Ric Wayman contributed to this story.

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WASHINGTON CITY – A woman was arrested by the Utah Highway Patrol for suspected DUI Friday evening after her car rolled on southbound Interstate 15 on the north side of the Washington Parkway exit.

Rollover off southbound Interstate 15 at the Washington Parkway exit, Washington City, Utah, May 1, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

At about 7:10 p.m., UHP troopers responded to a report of a rollover on I-15. At the scene, they encountered a woman in her mid-to-late 20s whose car had ended up on its side at the base of an embankment by the roadway. Units from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office also responded.

The woman was going a “good rate of speed when she hit the embankment,” UHP Sgt. Danny Ferguson said.

The woman’s car veered off the roadway, leaving visible skid marks, and went up the embankment. The vehicle somehow missed a tree, went around the tree and landed on its passenger side facing northward, Ferguson said.

“How she missed that tree, I don’t have a clue,” he said.

The woman was the only person in the car and was wearing her seat belt, Ferguson said, which was evident by the visible marks left on her collarbone.

Rollover off southbound Interstate 15 at the Washington Parkway exit, Washington City, Utah, May 1, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Police officers who first arrived at the scene could allegedly smell alcohol on the woman and, also judging by her demeanor, suspected she was intoxicated. The woman underwent a field sobriety test at the scene and subsequently failed, which resulted in her arrest.

Before being taken to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility, the woman was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center for a medical check, Ferguson said.

The woman’s car had to be towed from the scene. No other vehicles or people were involved in the incident.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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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Rollover off southbound Interstate 15 at the Washington Parkway exit, Washington City, Utah, May 1, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

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CEDAR CITY – Two New York men traveling from California were arrested Wednesday on Interstate 15 just south of Hamilton Fort for transporting 30 pounds of marijuana and between 1-2 pounds of hash oil through Utah on their way home.

Clocking the dark-colored Honda Civic at 88 mph, at first the Utah Highway Patrol officer pulled them over for speeding, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrests.

While explaining the purpose for the traffic stop, the UHP officer said in the statement, he noticed a large black pill bottle with stickers on it in the open glove box. Having previous experience finding drugs in similar bottles he asked if he could look at it.

The young men informed him that the bottles were filled with THC-infused candies they purchased while in California, the officer said in his statement. Asking them if there were any other illegal substances in the vehicle, he said, the driver showed him a THC-infused drink, but both the driver and passenger claimed that was all there was.

“I asked them out of the car and did a vehicle search,” the officer said in the statement. “In the passenger compartment I found nothing else of interest at the time.”

Moving on to the trunk, the officer said, he found a large black duffle bag and two large plastic totes full of marijuana, hash oil and paraphernalia. The marijuana was wrapped in vacuum sealed bags and surrounded by dryer sheets in an attempt to mask the smell he said.

In all, UHP seized marijuana worth $170,000 street value, and hash oil worth about $12,000, according to the probable cause statement. Since both men immediately requested to speak to their lawyer, neither suspect was interviewed.

Both the driver, Patrick S. Buschle, 23, of 65 Norway Dr., Rochester, New York, and the passenger, Ethan Peter Will, 23, of 504 West Ave., Brockport, New York, were taken into custody and remanded to the Iron County Jail.

I-15 is a main pipeline for illegal drug trafficking, because of its location and connecting highways, UHP Sgt. Ryan Bauer said.

“If you take a map of of the United States and you look at where the state of Utah and Interstate 15 is …,” Bauer said. “You’ve got all of Southern California and even central California that can connect to the rest of the country by taking 15 north and coming up to either I-70 or I-80.

“Then either one of those freeways connect all the way back to the Midwest and, in fact, all the way back to the East Coast.”

Each defendant faces charges of intent to distribute marijuana and hash oil and possession of marijuana more than 16 ounces, both third-degree felonies; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor. Buschle was also cited for speeding 88 mph in an 80 mph zone.

Since Buschle and Will are both residents of New York and neither of them have ties to Utah, they were considered a flight risk and their bail was set at $25,000 cash only. Buschle posted bail and was released from custody Monday at 1:30 p.m., but as of Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. Will is still in custody.

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ST. GEORGE – The Utah Highway Patrol responded to a report of a car that veered off northbound Interstate 15 in St. George Saturday morning, striking a sign and a post, crashing through a fence and ending up on Red Cliffs Drive.

Sign struck by car veering off I-15, St. George, Utah, May 9, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Caitlin Clementson, St. George News

At about 9:30 a.m., the 19-year-old driver of a 1992 Honda Civic was about to change lanes when he saw a car already there. He swerved back into his original lane, overcorrected and lost control of the car, UHP Trooper Matthew Pratt said.

“He came off the freeway backwards, struck an informational sign, knocked out a post, went under the fence and stopped in the middle of the roadway,” Pratt said.

The section of roadway the car landed in was the intersection of Red Cliffs Drive and East Ridge Drive.

The driver was able to get out of the vehicle on his own and, with the help of witnesses who stopped at the scene, push his disabled car into a nearby parking lot.

The driver was cited for failure to operate a vehicle in a single lane. No other vehicles were involved in the incident, and no injuries were reported.

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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