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SOUTH SALT LAKE — South Salt Lake police believe a woman was driving drunk when her car struck a 6-year-old boy on a bicycle Tuesday.
The boy, Jesus Quinones, was taken to a hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening, officials said.
Quinones was riding west near 350 E. Oakland Avenue when a car approached from behind and showed no signs of slowing down, according to witnesses. Some people said they heard a loud crash. But a block away, Quinones's older brother, Miguel Pineda, said he didn't hear anything.
"I was in my backyard and his friend came over and he was like, 'Oh, he just got hit.' So I ran over there, and he was like on the floor and was just all cut up," Pineda said.
Quinones was awake, alert, and screaming that he didn't want to go to a hospital, Pineda said.
"I was just like, 'Holy crap.' I was just glad he was alive," Pineda said.
Quinones was playing with a friend just before the crash, investigators said. That friend's father, Rene Alpuche, said, "My boy said he talked to the boy, like, 'watch out.' But I guess he didn't listen. He was too far away."
Alpuche said the crash was frightening for his son, who was scared for his friend.
I was just like, 'Holy crap.' I was just glad he was alive.
–Miguel Pineda, victim's brother
"The neighbor said the lady was going too fast, and that's when she hit the boy. Like, there was no way she could stop before hitting the boy," Alpuche said. South Salt Lake police arrested 37-year-old Michelle Russell on suspicion of driving under the influence. Investigators said Russell had alcohol on her breath at the scene and was driving on a denied license.
With the holiday weekend approaching, police said the incident serves as a reminder to not drink and drive.
"Everybody's going to be out and about enjoying the holidays with their families. Please watch extra careful for kids," urged Gary Keller of the South Salt Lake Police Department.
Pineda said he hopes his brother, who is will be wearing a neck brace after the accident, will return to his energetic self soon.
"(It was) really scary, especially for my mom," he said. "She was really scared."
