The last two weeks saw a series of brutal vehicle incidents in Kane County, continuing a trend of increasing crash and accident statistics in 2024.
Left to right:
Photo courtesy of TJ Reidhead.
Photo by Cathy Church.
On September 15, Fabio Rivellini of Italy, was partially crushed by an overturned semi near Jacob Lake on the way to the Grand Canyon. Rivellini was taking a curve on his bicycle when a semi-truck rounded the curve in the other direction at high speed. The truck began to overturn, and Rivellini leapt from his bike in an attempt to avoid the toppling vehicle and made it far enough off the road that the truck trailer collapsed only on his legs, breaking both below the knees. A GoFundMe is currently online to help Rivellini recover from the incident.
On September 30, another semi rolled over near milepost 37 in Kane County, injuring the driver and killing the passenger. According to Highway Patrol, the vehicle veered off the road and rolled onto its roof with no other vehicles involved. Similarly, earlier that week, a semi-truck was reported to have drifted off the road near the Garfield- Kane County line, resulting in an impact into a nearby creek, requiring work to free the stuck vehicle - the driver is reported to have no injuries from the incident, and some officials speculate fatigue as a contributing factor.
A motorcycle impacting the side of a vehicle turning off the road just outside of Duck Creek - reports indicate visibility was low, and the motorcycle driver did not see the turning car around a curve, at which point the motorcycle impacted the automobile’s side. According to a law enforcement report, “the driver, who was not wearing a helmet, is expected to survive,” despite being transported by helicopter with severe injuries.
There was another car crash in Kanab the same week, in the intersection in front of the Catholic Church off Main Street.
With this rash of vehicle incidents, safety officials remind drivers of the two most common risk factors when driving: inappropriate speeds and driving distracted. Distracted driving includes texting or interacting with a cell phone while driving, as well as driving impaired by drowsiness or substances like alcohol - many of these distractions carry legal consequences in addition to the safety risks. Law enforcement authorities recommend drivers slow down and pay closer attention to the road, especially on curves and in the low visibility or low traction circumstances that accompany the oncoming winter season.
