Arizona transportation officials say that a truck driver was killed after he crashed off of I-15 down a steep embankment near Cedar Pocket.
Police received word around 10 a.m. this morning about a truck that had crashed off of I-15 around mile marker 23, about 5 miles from the Arizona/Utah border in the Virgin River Gorge, according to the St. George News.
Rescue crews found the truck driver outside of the truck and believe that he was ejected during the crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The time of the crash is still unclear. “It had to have happened in the dark, because we have no witnesses, we never got any calls reporting it, nothing,” said Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. John Bottoms.
The early investigation into the crash indicates that the truck was southbound on I-15 when it left the right shoulder of the interstate, went up a small hill, and then crashed off the edge of a cliff, becoming airborne for more than 70 feet, crashing into another hill and then possibly becoming airborne for a second time. Authorities say that the truck hit the ground cab first. The truck’s load of electronics spilled out as the trailer split open in the crash.
Numerous agencies responded to the crash, including the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
I-15 SB near MP 24: Right lane blocked by crash. This is six miles north of the Cedar Pocket Rest area in northwestern AZ. #AzTraffic pic.twitter.com/RO3HtZEJGh
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) May 8, 2018
The incident remains under investigation.