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KEARNS — A 15-year-old boy was critically injured when a car hit him near Kearns High School Tuesday morning.
The Unified Police Department said a group of four teenagers was crossing north to south near 5300 West and 5400 South around 7:15 a.m. They were not in a crosswalk.
One vehicle slowed for the teens, but others — including a silver Chevy Metro — swerved around that car. The Metro hit the sophomore boy, throwing him approximately 100 feet and shattering the car's windshield.
"The brother was really in shock, he was just standing there and I said somebody find his name, get in his ear and tell him help is on the way, got in his backpack and found his name, found the brother, got a hold of his mom," said neighbor Jessi Campbell.
He was transported to Intermountain Medical Center in extremely critical condition. The other three teens remained on scene and were giving statements to police.
The Granite School District said they have grief counselors on standby to assist the teens who witnessed the accident.
The driver of the car that hit the boy is 49 years old. Investigators said sun was not a factor in the accident.
The intersection at 5400 South and 5000 West was temporarily closed, but has since reopened.
Neighbors say this area of 5400 South is very dangerous without lights or crosswalks, and that people constantly speed. They say something needs to be done.
"This is just a really busy road and people don't drive slow enough, this was during typical high school traffic time and people need to slow down," said neighbor Amanda Simpson.
The road is slated for a construction project, according to UDOT.
Video contribution: Jed Boal
