ST. GEORGE, Utah – Authorities are investigating after a man crashed his SUV into a home and was taken to a hospital for a gunshot wound Friday, and police said Saturday the man passed away about 90 minutes after he arrived at the hospital.
Officials said an SUV slammed into a house at The Cottages near 5020 Canyon View Drive just before 1:30 p.m. Friday. Neighbors rushed to help the man, but they said he appeared disoriented and impaired.
“He stopped, got out,” says Brian Watkins, who is staying in a home just down the street. “[He] just walked away, and I think he hopped a fence.”
Police said they believe the man lives in the same neighborhood and tried to enter his house, that’s when they got reports of a gunshot. Officers searched the area and found the man in the backyard of the nearby home.
“Officers located a man that appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” said St. George police Sergeant Sam Despain. “They immediately provided some medical attention, medical assistance, got ambulance personnel on scene.”
Paramedics took the man to Dixie Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Saturday, Sgt. Rich Triplett of the St. George Police Department said the man died about an hour and a half after arriving at the hospital. He said the man had suffered a single, self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head. FOX 13 News does not generally cover deaths that appear to be an act of suicide unless the incident has a wider impact on the public.
Officers say the cause of the crash and the gunshot is still under investigation. The man’s name has not been confirmed at this time.
