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Police seek driver who left the scene after hitting crossing guard in Riverton

Posted at 10:10 PM, Mar 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-17 00:10:44-04

RIVERTON, Utah -- A crossing guard in Riverton shared his story after he said a woman drove right into him, then left him there. Now, South Jordan Police are trying to track the driver down.

Jack McIntyre said he was just about to shepherd kids across the busy intersection at 13400 South and 3600 West after school on March 10 when the car hit him.

"I had my stop sign up, I took about two and a half steps, and: Bam!" he explained.

A woman, he said, was taking a right-hand turn off of 134th onto 3600.

Jack got bucked onto the hood.

"I pushed away... off her hood, and rolled onto the ground," he said. "That's when I injured my arm and my leg."

While the woman asked if he was OK, McIntyre said she quickly drove off.

"I thought she was just going to pull around the corner and stop, and she didn't, she kept going," he said.

Jack ended up heading to the hospital, where he said they determined he was OK aside from bumps and bruises.

His son, Matt McIntyre, happened to call moments after the hit-and-run.

"You just injured somebody's well-being. How could you just drive off?" he asked. "I don't understand that."

Matt decided to take matters into his own hands, and he took to social media in hopes of tracking the woman down. A few people came forward with information.

"I ended up getting one lead, so, one suspect lead and two witnesses of the accident," he said.

Those ultimately did not lead him to the person responsible. Now, South Jordan Police are handling the investigation.

Lieutenant Matt Pennington said any driver who hits a pedestrian is obligated by state law to stop and exchange insurance and contact information, even if the pedestrian is OK.

And, if they are hurt in any way, he said, state law requires them to call police.

Not doing so can end in citations for the driver.

Lt. Pennington said the driver is described as being a white woman with brown hair. She was driving a beige SUV. He said an elderly man may have been in the passenger seat.

He encourages anyone with information to call the South Jordan Police Department at 801-446-HELP (4357).

While Jack ended up OK, he said his arm and leg still hurt. But he's just glad the children he was trying to safely guide across the street weren't right behind him.

"They didn't follow me that time, thank goodness," he said. "She might have gotten one of them too."