ST. GEORGE – A truck burst into flames Wednesday morning shortly after being pulled over for a safety inspection.
A Chevy pickup truck pulling a small construction trailer was traveling north on state Route 18 near mile marker 7 at about 8:30 a.m.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper pulled the vehicle over for a commercial inspection.
During the stop, the trooper and the vehicle’s three male occupants noticed smoke coming from the steering column and then from under the hood.
The St. George Fire Department was paged to respond to the incident.
“The trooper on scene said there was (sic) flames visible coming from the engine compartment,” St. George Fire Department Capt. David Slack said.
“When we arrived on scene, the cab and the engine compartment were fully engulfed.”
Winchester Hills Fire Department was called out to help, Slack said.
“We were able to get it extinguished pretty quick and save most of their equipment on their vehicle,” Slack said.
St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department, Utah Highway Patrol and Winchester Hills Fire Department responded to the incident.
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 Chevy pickup truck pulling a small construction trailer is heavily damaged by fire Wednesday morning on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Nov. 23, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News
A Chevy pickup truck pulling a small construction trailer is heavily damaged by fire Wednesday morning on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Nov. 23, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News
A Chevy pickup truck pulling a small construction trailer is heavily damaged by fire Wednesday morning on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Nov. 23, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News
A Chevy pickup truck pulling a small construction trailer is heavily damaged by fire Wednesday morning on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Nov. 23, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News
A Chevy pickup truck pulling a small construction trailer is heavily damaged by fire Wednesday morning on state Route 18, St. George, Utah, Nov. 23, 2016 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julie Applegate is a long-time resident and fan of Southern Utah. She brings a strong background in news writing and editing, formerly as a full-time member of the St. George News team and currently as a contributor. Julie spent several years in the software industry. She believes strongly in the role of responsible news media in society, especially at the local level.
In her spare time, Julie can be found exploring Southern Utah on foot and by four-wheel drive or spending time with her family.
This is absolutely devastating to the owner that uses the vehicle for their daily business use. but the vehicle can be replaced and the most important thing here is that there was no loss of life. Praise Jesus !
Kudos to UHP, I watch unsafe commercial vehicles speeding up and down Brigham RD everyday, some without tags! Glad to see you cracking down, no one’s above the law.
Did it pass or fail the safety inspection?
looks like a fail to me
This is absolutely devastating to the owner that uses the vehicle for their daily business use. but the vehicle can be replaced and the most important thing here is that there was no loss of life. Praise Jesus !
Excellent photos of the scene . . . good job !
Kudos to UHP, I watch unsafe commercial vehicles speeding up and down Brigham RD everyday, some without tags! Glad to see you cracking down, no one’s above the law.
(except Hillary)