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Child in critical condition after crash involving police vehicle on Bangerter Highway

Posted at 4:40 PM, Jan 25, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-26 09:10:09-05

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — A child was flown to a hospital in very critical condition after a crash involving a Unified Police vehicle on Bangerter Highway and 11400 S.Thursday.

According to Lt. Matt Pennington of the South Jordan Police Department, the crash occurred just after 4 p.m. as a woman was traveling northbound on Bangerter Highway and attempted to make a left hand turn, which is currently prohibited at the intersection due to construction underway in the area.

The driver turning left was also doing so against a red light.

A police officer traveling southbound T-boned that vehicle. The Unified Police officer was not on duty but was driving a UPD patrol car.

A six-year-old child in the northbound vehicle was ejected during the crash and suffered life-threatening injuries. He was flown to a hospital and remains in critical condition Thursday night.

The driver of the car, a 46-year-old female, was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The police officer also suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital to be checked out. Family members say he is banged up but suffered no serious injuries.

The crash caused lane closures in the area for several hours,  but all lanes were open again just before 9 p.m.

Police say they are still investigating the crash to determine if the child was properly restrained in the vehicle.

According to a press release, drivers have been violating the left turn restriction at that intersection regularly.

“The South Jordan Police received numerous complaints about the violations of the restricted left turn at the intersection and had been conducting targeted enforcement throughout the day prior to the accident,” the release states. “We would like to remind drivers to please be observant and obey all traffic control devices and signs, especially in construction zones and during peak commuting hours.”