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SALT LAKE CITY — Two children who were not properly restrained in the backseat of a car were injured in a hit-and-run crash.
A 7-year-old boy remained in critical condition at Primary Children's Hospital but was stabilized Friday morning and expected to recover, according to UHP. A 3-year-old child was in serious condition.
Witnesses initially told UHP a pickup truck pulling a trailer was driving erratically, without headlines or taillights, near 1300 West and I-215 around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.
The truck suddenly side-swiped the car, sending it into the barrier wall.
UHP investigators said new information leads them to believe the car was speeding and driving erratically, and hit the truck.
Four children were in the backseat of the car with no car seats or booster seats. UHP Sgt. Wyatt Weber said the 7-year-old boy who was sharing a seatbelt with a 3-year-old was the most seriously injured.
“The medics said he had some severe chest trauma, bleeding from the mouth, things like that,” Weber said. “It’s entirely possible that the injuries would have been considerably less had they been properly restrained.”
The driver of the pick-up truck did not stop to help the family. Troopers are looking for the vehicle and want to hear that driver’s side of the story.
Witnesses described the pickup as a black or dark green truck. Troopers said it will have damage to the front passenger side. It was pulling an single-axle utility trailer with some sort of lock box on the trailer.
The two other children and two adults in the car were not seriously injured.
