TAYLORSVILLE, Utah -- Police confirm a 14-year-old girl was hit and killed by a vehicle while trick-or-treating in Taylorsville Saturday night, and authorities in Salt Lake City are responding to another crash involving three young children and their father, who were hit by a vehicle and are in critical condition.
Teenage trick-or-treater hit, killed in Taylorsville
According to the Unified Police Department, the fatal crash occurred at 5900 South and 2700 West and the victim is 14. Police later stated the victim is a teen girl who was trick-or-treating.
Precinct Chief Tracy Wyant, Unified Police Department, spoke about the crash.
“Just after 7 p.m. this evening, a group of kids were attempting to cross 2700 West from the west to the east at about 5930 South," he said. "One of those individuals was struck, a 14-year-old girl. She was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The girl was hit by a southbound vehicle, and Wyant said the girl was in the early stages of a crosswalk when she was struck.
“At this point, there does not appear to be any indications of impairment," Wyant said of the driver. "And it appears as though it is a tragedy, an accidental tragedy.”
The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating. Wyant said it is not clear if the driver was at fault, and he said that sort of determination will wait until after the investigation has been completed.
While it isn't clear how the girl was attired, Wyant said in general they urge all trick-or-treaters to wear clothing that makes them easily visible to others.
“With trick or treat, especially with the warmer weather that we’ve had this evening and being a weekend, it’s absolutely imperative that people utilize additional caution," he said. "Certainly, we urge all trick-or-treaters to wear reflective clothing and have some artificial lighting source that can help illuminate them.”
The name of the teen has not yet been released. Wyant said it appears the girl was with a group of her friends when she was hit. There were no other injuries reported in connection with this crash.
Four pedestrians critically injured in Salt Lake City
The crash involving three children and one adult in Salt Lake City occurred in the area of 400 East and 2100 South, and reports of the crash began to come in just after 7 p.m.
FOX 13 News' Robert Boyd reports three children under the age of five and an adult male were taken to a hospital after the crash. The victims were reported to be in critical condition, but the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Police later stated the victims are a child who is 1.5 years old, two 3-year-old children, and their 41-year-old father.
It appears a truck struck a wagon that was being used to pull the children. The man and the children were inside a crosswalk when they were hit.
Jerilyn Toro lives nearby and said the victims had recently stopped at her home to trick or treat.
"They were trick-or-treating at my door and having a lot of fun, and I just all of a sudden heard all these people screaming and I came out" she said. "...well they were crying and there was this big commotion and everyone is yelling at each other and there is this man on the ground too."
Toro said she heard the driver of the truck saying he didn't see the children. Police performed a field sobriety test on the man and determined he was not impaired.
A third incident occurred on Halloween that police believe involves a trick-or-treater. Crews in West Jordan responded to a hit-and-run crash that left a teenage girl with injuries, and the driver left the scene. Click here for details.
