COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — A young pedestrian is in the hospital after being hit by a car while crossing the street near an elementary school Monday evening.
Cottonwood Heights Police said a 12-year-old boy was run over while crossing Fort Union Blvd. around 5 p.m.
The boy was using the crosswalk and holding an orange crossing flag at 2115 East, officials said, but the driver did not yield and ended up hitting him. He was taken to the hospital, where he is in critical but stable condition.
The accident happened next to Bella Vista Elementary School, but it's not known at this time whether the child was a student there.
Police gave an update later Monday night that the adult female driver is being processed for suspected impaired driving. They initially said they did not suspect impairment but that an investigation was underway.
Statistically, October is one of the most dangerous months for kids and teens out on the roads.
As we get closer to Halloween, police are urging drivers to pay attention and are asking parents to warn their children.
“Number one: you don’t pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk,” said Sgt. Gary Young. “Number two: you don’t drive impaired. Number three: you should always be cautious when you’re approaching intersections or crosswalks. That’s just rules of the road and safety, but in this instance, a child was run over in a crosswalk with an orange flag.”
