TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (ABC 4 News) - He was on his way to lunch, but now a 17-year-old Taylorsville student is fighting for his life. He was hit by a car just before eleven Tuesday morning right near Taylorsville High at 1500 West and 5400 South.
The student was in a crosswalk when he was hit, but police and eye-witnesses tell ABC 4 he ran in front of the vehicle on a red light.
However, there is a law many drivers may not be aware of. Police say, if a driver sees someone already in a crosswalk, no matter if that driver has the right-of-way with a green light, the driver must yield to the pedestrian.
In this case, the student was hit by a car while crossing the street with a group of his friends.
“Honestly when I saw these kids running across the street a gut feeling in me said, this is it, something bad is going to happen. And it was almost like slow motion,” recalls Vinay Cardwell, an eyewitness.
Cardwell saw the entire accident while waiting for his red light to turn green - allegedly the same red light the students should have yielded to.
“Right now it appears the pedestrian ran out in front of the car and got hit,” states Detective Shannon Bennett with Taylorsville Police Department.
“He flipped around and he landed a good 20 feet or so where he got hit. It was just like, I couldn't believe it, this can't be happening,” adds Cardwell.
Another driver, Elizabeth Vasko, who was a nurse for two years, grabbed her first aid kit and jumped out to help the boy. “And we opened a sterile roll and they applied pressure on his head with that and we were looking for blankets so I grabbed a sleeping bag and threw that over him. He was definitely in shock and definitely in a lot of pain,” she says.
The student was taken to the hospital in critical condition; the driver was also treated for minor injuries.
Police say it appears the driver did have the right-of way, but Detective Bennett adds, “If you're a motorist and you see someone traveling in a crosswalk you're obligated by law to yield to that pedestrian. If they're already in the crosswalk and you see them in the crosswalk you need to yield to that person in the crosswalk regardless the color of that light.”
Police are still investigating, but believe the student did run out in front of the car and that driver had no time to react and that speed was not an issue. No charges have been filed.
A spokesman for Granite School District says even though Taylorsville is one of the few high schools with an open campus, the district and the school encourages students to stay on site during lunch.
Taylorsville High will have counselors on alert at the school and more will be sent from the district, if needed.
