A car hit an 11-year-old girl who was riding her bike to school in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, January 15, 2009. The car slowed down for a brief moment and then kept going. Salt Lake police said the girl was crossing the street at 300 South and West Temple at a crosswalk when the vehicle made a turn and hit her. She was thrown off her bike but suffered only minor injuries.
According to KSL news, a pedestrian at the scene stopped to help the girl get up and made sure she was ok. She was able to ride the rest of the way to school. “She had some bumps and bruises,” said PTA secretary Carley Price who was at the school when the girl arrived. School officials called police and paramedics took the girl to the hospital as a precaution. Police are hoping to locate the person who helped the girl to see if he or she can provide any information about the vehicle that hit the girl.
“The fact that they drove away is appalling,” said Price. “I truly hope that we can figure out who did it. I mean, the fact that you wouldn’t know that you hit such a large bike or a person for that matter is just baffling to me. ” Anyone with information is asked to contact the police at 801-799-3000.
I’m glad that the injuries were minor and the girl seams to be doing ok. I wish her a speedy recovery.
Drivers have a responsibility to yield to pedestrians and bicyclists- especially those crossing at a crosswalk! Utah code 12.76.045A says, “Drivers must yield to pedestrians lawfully within crosswalks, by coming to a complete stop, while a pedestrian is in the vehicle’s travel lane or adjoining lane. Also, when a vehicle is stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross, vehicles approaching from the rear must stop to verify that no pedestrian is within their travel lane or an adjoining lane.” I recommend that this family contact an experienced Utah bicycle attorney who can help them explore all the legal avenues available.