VERNAL, Utah, May 23, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — For a 40-foot tall, 4,200 pound dinosaur, even a fiberglass and cement one, a bouncing automobile may be just so much shrapnel.
But Vernal‘s favorite giant pet took a hit Wednesday morning that has the city asking, “Do dinosaurs grow their tails back?” A wayward motorist knocked the tail off it.
“Our beloved landmark, Dinah, was damaged by a vehicle earlier today,” the city lamented online Wednesday. “Dinah has welcomed visitors to Vernal as a historic roadside attraction for decades.
“Dinah remained unfazed during the incident and she will be repaired quickly. Fortunately, no human was injured during the accident.”
By Wednesday night, among the 38 comments that were attached to the city’s Facebook post on the mishap were some speculating that Dinah’s assailant was drunk driving, but an all-caps, possibly angry response said it was an accident, and the teenage driver fell asleep driving home from the late shift at work.
Built in 1958, just last year the pink, anthropomorphized Dinah made it onto the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Which means any such remodeling as was attempted Wednesday must satisfy federal guidelines. Just off Vernal’s Main Street, aka US-40, Dinah brandishes a sign that reads “Vernal Utah’s Dinosaur Land.”
The area is home to Dinosaur National Monument. It features over 1,500 dinosaur fossils exposed on the cliff face inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall at the park, part of the National Park Service.
