14-year-old girl critically injured after being hit by SUV in Heber City

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HEBER CITY — A 14-year-old girl suffered critical injuries after being hit by an SUV on Wednesday morning, according to police.

The incident occurred about 11:28 a.m. at 790 S. Main, according to a statement from Heber City police. Police said the girl was struck by a southbound SUV and was in critical condition when emergency responders arrived.

The girl, identified by her family as Ava Saunders, was taken to the Heber Valley Hospital and then transferred by medical helicopter to a Salt Lake area hospital, where she is in the intensive care unit while being monitored for brain swelling.

The driver of the SUV stayed on scene and cooperated with the investigation. Police say there's no evidence of speeding or impairment and the driver has not been cited.

It's the second auto-pedestrian accident involving a child to occur in Heber City this month, after a 14-year-old boy was critically injured after being hit by a van on Sept. 14.

The boy suffered a broken collarbone and pelvis, bruised lungs and a fractured skull, according to his mother Christine Sara, who has called on the Heber City Council to install a traffic signal at the crossing of 500 East and 1200 South. Sara told KSL-TV she is outraged that another crash has occurred and the city needs to step up and do something.

The Utah Department of Transportation installed a crosswalk with lights in the area, but the lights aren't hooked up yet. UDOT officials said they have done their part, and it's now up to the city to get the electricity running.

Contributing: Cassidy Wixom

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Bridger Beal-Cvetko

Bridger Beal-Cvetko is a reporter for KSL. He covers politics, Salt Lake County communities and breaking news. Bridger has worked for the Deseret News and graduated from Utah Valley University.

Debbie Worthen

Debbie Worthen brings nearly two decades of award-winning journalism experience to the KSL Newsroom and is thrilled be working for Utah’s legacy news organization. She anchors KSL 5 News at 4 and Live at 5 with Mike Headrick and reports for KSL 5 News at 10pm. There are countless things Debbie enjoys about working in local news, but storytelling is at the top of the list. Whether it’s meeting the remarkable people of Utah as they do amazing things, informing viewers of critical breaking news and issues that impact their communities or reporting on daily assignments like weather and traffic, Debbie is honored to be the one trusted to tell Utahn’s stories. She believes journalistic integrity and a commitment to accuracy have never been more important than they are now. Debbie started her career as a writer, producer and traffic reporter while finishing her communications degree at The University of Utah before making the jump to a full-time on-air position. (Although you could say she caught the news “bug” at KOLT-News at Cottonwood High School.) After several moves across the country, Debbie and her husband, Brandon Gilbert, moved to Utah to start their family. They love everything Utah has to offer and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Outside the office, Debbie and her family are advocates for at-risk youth and have fostered several children through Utah Foster Care. As a family they enjoy movie nights in the basement, trying new recipes and, a few times a year, traveling to exotic locations!