Boy hit by SUV while crossing street flew through its windshield, Utah family says
A brother and sister were struck by a vehicle while crossing a street in Utah, police said.
The “serious” crash in Salt Lake City sent the children to the hospital with critical injuries, Salt Lake City Police Department said.
A 14-year-old girl was carrying her 5-year-old brother on her back across a street without a crosswalk before 8 a.m. Monday, KSTU reported. A 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee then crashed into the children as they crossed Goshen Street, police said.
The 5-year-old boy flew through the windshield on the passenger side of the SUV while his sister was “lifeless” in the middle of the road before being transported to the hospital, according to the family’s GoFundMe page.
After the crash, the driver remained on the scene and spoke with authorities. Officials are investigating the incident “as a possible impaired driver crash.” No arrests have been made as of Wednesday and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
The intersection originally had a crosswalk before it was repaved. But it never got repainted, KSTU said.
Neighbors called the intersection unsafe.
“It’s like a freeway here,” neighborhood resident Larry Martinez told KUTV. “Nobody slows down.”
City workers repainted the crosswalk lines following the crash, spokesperson for Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office Lindsey Nikola told McClatchy News.
A large electronic messaging sign was brought to the crosswalk to alert drivers to slow down because of children walking to school, Nikola said.
The mayor also ordered a review of every sidewalk in the city, prioritizing those near schools, she said.
“Monday morning’s incident is a tragedy that no parent or child should ever have to endure, and our thoughts and prayers are with the children and their families during this unthinkable time,” Nikola said.
The names of the children are not being released because they are minors.
This story was originally published September 22, 2021 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Boy hit by SUV while crossing street flew through its windshield, Utah family says."
