Two 6-year-old girls in different Utah counties were struck by cars Wednesday afternoon.
One child died on impact and the other is in critical condition.
In Utah County, a girl was hit by a large SUV in Vineyard at 3:30 p.m. after she came down the incline of a neighboring driveway on a battery-powered scooter and drove into the car’s path. She experienced extensive trauma to her upper body and head and initial efforts to revive her failed because of the severity of her injuries, according to a county news release.
The girl, identified by police as Annie Gonzalez, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the SUV has been cooperative, police said, and submitted to a routine drug test. Initial test results came back negative for drugs or alcohol. Investigators said they don’t believe impairment, negligence or carelessness were factors in the crash. Charges are not expected to be filed against the driver, investigators said.
In Salt Lake County, a girl was hit in an alleyway behind a business complex in South Salt Lake in the area of 3575 South and West Temple, according to police spokesman Gary Keller. A number of children had been playing in the area, he said, and the driver didn’t see the girl run out into the street.
The driver remained on scene and was cooperative, Keller said, and there was no evidence of driver impairment. The child, who police have not yet named, was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, with a significant injury to her lower leg.
As the weather gets warmer, police said both these incidents demonstrate a need for parents and drivers to exercise extra caution. Utah County Sgt. Spencer Cannon encouraged drivers to eliminate distractions, like talking on the phone, and to pay close attention in neighborhoods. He said parents should teach children to always be cautious when playing on a sidewalk or in the streets.
“Once you experience a tragedy like has happened today — all the desire to do things differently in the world doesn’t change the result of today,” he said. “So if there was something that could have been done to prevent it, nobody feels that more heavily than this SUV driver.”
Keller said drivers need to be alert even in areas where they might not expect children to be present.
Additionally, he said, “it’s a very hard task for parents but they have to be vigilant and watch over their children extra careful as the weather gets better and kids get out more and more.”
