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WEST VALLEY CITY — A West Valley man died Sunday after being struck by a car while riding his bike, leaving a family devastated.
John Kinn, 65, was riding west on 3500 South at 5504 West about 4 p.m. when he was hit. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It's nothing short of a tragedy," said West Valley Police Sgt. Jay Horner.
The driver of the vehicle pulled over after the incident, but then abandoned his car and fled on foot after he was told he had hit a person, according to witnesses.
Stepson Jason Simpson dropped to his knees and sobbed when he arrived at the scene.
"This isn't happening," Simpson said, through tears. "What do you do? How do you deal with this?"
Simpson's daughter cried as he recounted how he'd gone bowling with Kinn earlier Sunday afternoon. It was a record game, Simpson said: 226.
Then he said he was trying to call Kinn on his cellphone to tell him that the Utah Jazz had won Sunday when he got the devastating news.
"I called and called and then a cop answered," Simpson said. "He said, 'There's been an accident. Your dad got hit by a car.'"
Simpson said he raced to the scene, but when he arrived he realized his stepfather was gone.
"I could see the sheet, and I knew," Simpson sobbed. "I knew it was bad. Bad, bad bad."
Police shut down 3500 South in both directions from 5600 West to 5200 West for several hours while they investigated the death.
Witness Sam Torres said the driver hit Kinn so hard, it shattered his vehicle's windshield.
"Everything happened so fast," he said. "I couldn't believe it."
Torres said he was driving down 3500 South when he heard a thud. He said he pulled over so his wife could help Kinn while he followed the driver, who pulled into a Taco Bell parking lot.
"He was standing outside his car," Torres said. "I pulled up in front of him and told him, 'You've got to go back.'"
"He asked, 'Did I hit a garbage can?'" Torres recounted. "I said, 'No, you hit a person.' And he freaked out."
Heartbreaking moment when Jason Simpson learned his father, John Kinn, was hit and killed while riding his bike @KSL5TVpic.twitter.com/yOvx8mCPbf
— Nicole Vowell (@NicoleVowellKSL) April 30, 2017
He said the driver walked into the fast food restaurant but never came back.
"I thought he was actually going to just go back in there and sit and compose himself, but when the police got there he wasn't there," Torres said.
Horner said officers were doing "everything they can" to find the driver Sunday evening. He thanked witnesses for helping police, but urged anyone with information to step forward and "help us seek justice and ensure it doesn't happen to anyone else."
"He was more worried about fleeing the scene and avoiding responsibility than caring for someone's life," Horner said. "Unfortunately for the family, they've lost a loved one."
Simpson remembered Kinn as a loving father and grandfather.
"He was my daddy," he said. "When my biological (dad) didn't bother, John bothered. He did. He raised me like I was his own."
Simpson pleaded to the driver to step forward.
"Just turn yourself in, please," he said.
Horner said the suspect was driving a silver BMW with California license plates. Witnesses described him as a black man, 6 feet 2 inches tall, about 200 pounds, with medium-length dreadlocks tied in a ponytail and wearing all black clothing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call West Valley police at 801-840-4000.
Contributing: Nicole Vowell
