Two Women Dead Following Deadly Rollover Near Cedar Pocket

Two fatalities have been reported after a rollover crash near Cedar Pocket, with one passenger being taken to St. George Regional Hospital with injuries.

The accident occurred the afternoon of September 16 when an SUV with seven passengers was travelling northbound on I-15 near mile post 19.

The SUV struck the center divider, causing a rollover with three of the seven passengers being ejected from the vehicle, and falling about 40 yards into a nearby ravine.

According to Fire Captain Larry Lydon of the Beaver Dam Little Field Fire District, a tire blowout may have caused the crash, but the incident is still under investigation.

Captain Lydon said, “I spoke to the driver, and she said that she had a really violent shimmy or vibration on the front end, and then she lost control of the vehicle. The left tire was flat, so it’s a good chance that the left front tire either went down or had a blowout. I’m not saying that’s what caused it because the scene is under investigation, but there’s a chance that’s what happened there.”

Two of those ejected were pronounced dead at the scene after recovery efforts, while a life flight was called to transport the surviving victim to St. George Regional Hospital for further care.

The accident caused southbound traffic on I-15 to halt to a standstill for several hours. The St. George Fire Department attempted to assist in the efforts but were unable to make it to the scene due to backup of traffic.

Instead, the Mesquite Fire Department were able to make it to assist the Beaver Dam Little Field Fire District with the recovery efforts.

GoFundMe pages have been set up for the two women who passed away in the crash. Their names are Guadalupe (Lupita) Montalvo, and Mercedes Torreblanca.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost their loved ones in this accident.

Please stay safe out there, and don’t forget to wear your seatbelt no matter where you’re travelling.