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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
Ashley Hayes and Mary Richards reportingA young boy crossing the street was hit by a car on 3rd East near 10th South this morning. Police are looking for the driver who hit him.
Sgt. Stefhan Bennett, Salt Lake City Police Dept.: "After the child was struck the car did drive off and left the scene."
The eight-year-old boy is in serious condition, though police say he was conscious and alert at the scene. When he was hit, he was running across the street to Lincoln Elementary. He did not use the crosswalk just a few hundred feet away.
Sgt. Stefhan Bennett, Salt Lake City Police Dept.: "It appears the child, instead of walking around to the back or stopping before he stepped foot into the traffic lane, he just ran out into traffic without looking."
Police say that's when a gold Nissan Sentra hit the eight-year-old boy and drove off.
The little boy was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center where he is in serious condition.
Police are looking for the driver, who they say may be a woman.
A manager with public services assessing the scene says situations like this one could be avoided if children used the crosswalks.
Gary Griffiths, Compliance Div. Manager for Public Services: "Yea there is a problem and the schools as well as the the crossing guard program try to instruct the children where to cross.
Griffiths suspects the child was crossing the road where an open chain link gate leads to the Lincoln Elementary campus.
Gary Griffiths, Compliance Div. Manager for Public Services: "People tend to cross where it's most convenient that's where the danger lies."
Griffiths said he would be making a recommendation today to school officials at Lincoln Elementary to lock the gate so more children won't be tempted to cross there, and instead they'll go down the street to the crosswalks.
If you have any information on the car and driver that hit the boy, please call police.
Meanwhile, the school is talking about safety today, and pushing again for safer streets in the area. Lincoln Elementary principal Tracy VanDeventer says something needs to be done.
"We maybe need to reconsider whether or not we have some flashing lights on our street here," she said. "It's a very busy street despite what some people think. I know that we've been fighting for a few years to try and get that taken care of."
VanDeventer is holding an assembly today to talk to students about being extra careful. She also has a message for the driver, and asks all drivers in the area to watch where they're going.
