A black Toyota Tacoma pulling a 30-foot trailer jackknifed on I-15 southbound near mile marker 19 Thursday afternoon, Mohave County, Arizona, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Arizona Highway Patrol, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A driver returning to Arizona hauling a brand new trailer jackknifed and rolled on Interstate 15 through the Virgin River Gorge Wednesday.

Shortly after 2 p.m. officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover on I-15 southbound near mile marker 19 that involved a black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck pulling a Nash 30-foot trailer.

Upon arrival responders found the Tacoma on its side in the middle of the roadway and the 30-foot trailer tipped halfway on top of the metal guardrail to the right on the interstate, Arizona Highway Patrol Trooper Stephen Hughes said.

The driver, who sustained minor injuries in the crash, was able to exit the truck on his own, the trooper said.

The man told troopers he was traveling south on the interstate nearing mile marker 19 when a gust of wind hit the trailer, causing it to sway back and forth before the truck flipped onto its side and the trailer jackknifed.

The man also told troopers he had just bought the trailer and was returning to his home in Phoenix, Arizona.

“The trailer was brand new, and the driver went all the way to Minnesota I believe to pick it up,” Hughes said. “(He) spent so much time and money to purchase it, haul it south, and then crashed.”

The No. 2 lane was blocked while responders tended to the scene, cleared debris, and towed the truck and trailer from the roadway. Traffic was initially blocked and then diverted to the No. 1 lane, which affected traffic flow for approximately one hour.

Arizona Highway Patrol and Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire Department and Ambulance responded and tended to the scene.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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