A little after 3 p.m., on Saturday, August 3, a Toyota Tundra heading northbound out of Kanab, about mile marker 65 near the Kanab Welcome sign, drifted into the oncoming traffic lane and clipped a southbound Jeep Compass. The impact spun the jeep into a roll until it finally came to rest on its tires off the southbound shoulder of the road.
The Toyota truck then suffered an off-center head-on impact with another vehicle, a Honda sedan, which caused the sedan to bank out of the lane and into a nearby hill; the truck spun until it was lateral across the southbound lane, entirely blocking traffic, at which point a fourth vehicle came around a nearby curve and applied its brakes, but was unable to stop entirely and impacted the Toyota’s side.
A sizable force of law enforcement and medical responders arrived on site within minutes to address the situation, with multiple local agencies assisting in traffic redirection and medical transportation. According to a report from Utah Highway Patrol, at least ten individuals involved in the series of crashes had to be transported by ambulance for medical care, which prompted additional responses from medical personnel and vehicles. Per the on-site assessments, the injured motorists mostly had minor to moderate injuries and the repeated crashes did not result in any fatalities.
The driver of the truck that crossed lanes, a 66-year-old male, was not cited for any kind of impairment or driving under the influence.
Another incident occurred just a few miles north the following day, near mile marker 78, where a motorcyclist impacted a guard rail on a curve not far from Mount Carmel around 9 a.m., on Sunday, August 4. The motorcyclist was transported by air in critical condition, with law enforcement authorities noting he was not wearing a helmet when the crash occurred. Response to the incident closed traffic for about three more hours on Sunday morning.
