WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Police are searching for a suspect after they say an 11-year-old boy was hit by a trjc, and killed overnight.
The incident happened at about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday near 4200 South 4000 West.
Bruno Rodriguez Ramirez stepped outside of his just before he was headed to work when he heard something across the street from his house.
"It's like a noise like somebody hit and I just to see the car, they just take off," said Rodriguez Ramirez.
Rodriguez Ramirez says that's when he heard a woman screaming. He says he went across the street and saw the woman on the ground with her son.
"She tried to push on his stomach to try and make her son breathe or something," said Rodriguez Ramirez.
Rodriguez Ramirez says the woman called 911 and handed him the phone to give police the address. Within minutes, he says, they showed up to the area.
Roxeanne Vainuku, a spokeswoman for the West Valley City Police Department told FOX 13 News on Thursday that the mother and her son had been doing some sight seeing in downtown Salt Lake, before taking the bus back to West Valley City.
After getting off at a nearby bus stop, Vainuku says, they were both walking south along 4000 West on the sidewalk, when a truck traveled onto the sidewalk and hit the child.
Paramedics took the boy to the hospital where he later died. Vainuku says the mother was not hurt in the incident.
Flor Martinez and her family have lived in the area for more than 20 years.
"My dad said he had walked up the street just a little bit to see what was going on," said Martinez.
Martinez says her dad saw about three or four police cars in the area at that time.
Unfortunately, she says, this kind of incident isn't uncommon in this area.
"Hits and runs have happened a couple times," said Martinez. "A couple years back there was a guy just waiting on the bus stop right there unfortunately, same thing."
For Rodriguez Ramirez, who is a father of five children, this incident has weighed heavily on his mind.
"It's really bad, 11 years old man, I mean he's very young," said Rodriguez Ramirez.
Police are searching for a light-colored, possibly gray or silver Toyota Tacoma or similar pick-up truck. The truck is believed to have damage to its front end.
The child's identity was not made available.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact West Valley City Police at 801-840-4000.
