Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HERRIMAN — A 4-year-old boy was hospitalized in serious condition after being hit by a SUV in front of a school Wednesday.
The accident happened about 8:40 a.m. in front of Herriman Elementary School, near 13170 S. and 6000 West.
An end-of-year program was happening at the school, said Unified Fire Authority Capt. Cliff Burningham, with many students performing for their parents.
A mother with several young children, none of whom were of elementary school age, had just parked on a side street near the school because the school parking lot was full, Burningham said.
Her 4-year-old son got out of the vehicle and walked onto the road, and was struck by an oncoming SUV traveling between 25 to 30 mph.
"He was struck by front bumper and possibly run over from the front tire," Burningham said. "(He) was found by our paramedics in between the tires, in between the front and rear tires."
Witnesses say the boy darted into traffic from behind a vehicle parked along the street, giving the SUV's driver no time to react. One woman said her friend was in the opposite lane and watched it all unfold.
"She said that he ran away from his mom and his mom screamed his name, and she was honking at the other lady and the other lady couldn't see him because the SUV was too tall," Carlye Webb said.
The boy suffered abdomen and pelvis injuries but was conscious and crying when paramedics arrived. He was flown to Primary Children's Medical Center by medical helicopter, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.
The accident marked the latest in a bad month for auto-pedestrian and hit-and-run accidents. In June alone, there were seven people killed or seriously injured in Utah, most of them along the Wasatch Front
Police say both drivers and pedestrians, including children and their parents, need to be aware of their surroundings. Police also encourage hit-and-run drivers to not run but rather contact authorities to help them understand what happened, and to help the victims and their families.
Written by Pat Reavy with contributions from Shara Park.
---
