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WEST VALLEY CITY — The mother of 2-year-old Gavyn, who died Tuesday morning after being struck by a car Monday night, is asking the driver who fled the scene to turn themselves in.
Just before 10 p.m. Monday, Angela Barnett and her two children, ages 9 and 2, were walking home from the Smith's store at 4100 South and 5600 West. As she began crossing from the west side of the road to the east, a northbound vehicle on the inside lane slowed to allow her to cross, but a car in the outside northbound lane struck the stroller, knocking the baby to the ground, said Lt. Matt Ellson with the West Valley City Police Department.
"He was struck by it and he was thrown like, 9 feet in the air and landed on the pavement," Barnett said. "It was going way too fast and I couldn't get any information on it and now my son is gone because of this."
Ellson said the vehicle, described as a gray or silver four-door car with a spoiler, stopped briefly and then took off. Police say it may have a damaged left front headlight.
Gavyn had extremely critical injuries and was flown to Primary Children's Medical Center, where he died early Tuesday morning.
The mother and other child were not injured.
Ellson said it was very dark when the incident happened and the area was unmarked.
"It's not a controlled intersection. There's no crosswalk or anything," Ellson said.
Neighbors say people run across the street all the time and hope the city will consider putting in a crosswalk.
Now Barnett is pleading for the driver or anyone with information about the driver to come forward.
"Can you please come forward and let me know and turn yourself in? Because I lost my little boy due to that little accident," Barnett said. "I won't ever have him back, and there's a hole in my heart because of it."
With only pictures and memories left of her son Gavyn, Barnett remembered him as a happy boy.
"My son was very adorable. He loved to laugh, smile," Barnett said. "Just the other day, I bought him a small little pool and he and his sissy were swimming in it and he was having so much fun. It was the best day of my life."
Police are trying to gather more information and find the driver and are analyzing surveillance video and evidence at the scene. Police said the longer the search drags out, the harsher the charges against the individual could be.
"We'll be looking into whether there is surveillance video or things like that," Ellson said. "We'll talk with the witnesses a bit further. And, they're looking at the stroller."
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 801-840-4000.
Contributing: Sandra Yi
