West Jordan police have arrested a 50-year-old man whom they say struck and killed a 13-year-old boy in a crosswalk Monday evening, then left the scene.
At about 6 p.m., 13-year-old Eli Mitchell of West Jordan was riding his bike south across the 9000 South crosswalk at 1510 West, according to police.
The man, who was driving a pickup truck on 1510 West, turned onto westbound 9000 South and hit Eli, who was a student at West Jordan Middle School. According to witnesses, the driver of the pickup then U-turned, drove past the injured boy and headed south on 1510 West.
“We have no words for why someone would leave another human in the road mortally injured,” West Jordan police officer Samuel Winkler said.
Witnesses and police officers performed CPR on the boy, who was not breathing. An ambulance took Eli to Intermountain Medical Center, where he died.
Acting on information from witnesses, police identified the truck believed to have struck and killed the boy and arrested the suspected hit-and-run driver in Saratoga Springs.
The man has been booked into the Salt Lake County jail for investigation of automobile homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. He was being held without bail as of Tuesday.
The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name suspects until they have been formally charged with a crime.
