Teen driver hits 3-year-old with van

A Dodge Grand Caravan crashes into a brick wall after hitting a 3-year-old boy, Ivins, Utah, April 8, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

UPDATED April 9.

IVINS — A 3-year-old boy was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George Wednesday evening after being hit by a teenager driving a van in Ivins. (See ed. note regarding child age correction at bottom of report.)

Santa Clara-Ivins Police officers investigate the an auto-pedestrian accident in Ivins, Utah, April 8, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News
Santa Clara-Ivins Police officers investigate an auto-pedestrian accident in Ivins, Utah, April 8, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

Just before 6 p.m., a 15-year-old boy with a learner’s permit was driving a Dodge Grand Caravan with his parents in the vehicle.

They said they were traveling westbound on 400 West in Ivins and turned onto 200 South, where some children were playing in the street, Santa Clara-Ivins Police Public Information Officer Chad Holt said.

The teen said he became nervous when he saw the children and swerved to avoid hitting them, Holt said; but as he swerved, the children ran the same direction, and the teen ended up hitting a 3-year-old boy with the van.

After hitting the child, the van went up over a curb and struck a brick wall, Holt said.

The 3-year-old was transported to the hospital by Ivins City Ambulance. He was awake and breathing, and his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, Holt said.

The child’s father, Stephen Belmont, told St. George News Thursday, that there were children right by his son by a mailbox in the road who saw that the car was coming and they were getting out of the way.

“Him being 3 years old, he was not able to get out of the way,” Belmont said of his son. “His brother pushed him out of the way of the car. There were adults out, he was where he should have been on the sidewalk – the teenager drove out of control and instead of braking he hit the accelerator and ran into a wall.”

Belmont said he knows the juvenile driver and it was his first time out driving.

“The issue is that the 15 year old – the 15 year old was crushed, hysterical,” he said. “… he’s traumatized.”

Twenty minutes after the incident occurred, Holt said, he received an update from Dixie Regional Medical Center officials that the boy only had bumps and bruises as a result of the accident.

Holt said Thursday morning that the 3-year-old is home. He had scrapes, cuts and bruises, Holt said and Belmont later confirmed, with one cut on his foot that required stitches but he’s home and doing well.

A white Dodge Grand Caravan is towed from the scene of an accident involving a 15-year-old boy hitting a 5-year-old boy, Ivins, Utah, April 8, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News
A white Dodge Grand Caravan is towed from the scene of an accident, Ivins, Utah, April 8, 2015 | Photo by Holly Coombs, St. George News

The van sustained damage to the right headlight area and was towed from the scene.

The juvenile driver was cited for failure to maintain a lane.

The Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department and Ivins City Ambulance attended to the accident scene.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Ed. note Thursday:  Correction to the child’s age has been made throughout the story. UPDATED to with comments from Stephen Belmont.

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8 Comments

  • ladybugavenger April 8, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    That is just sad and unfortunate. Hope all recover from the trauma

  • RealMcCoy April 9, 2015 at 10:25 am

    Why was the parent not cited for letting their 3 year old play in a street?

    • ladybugavenger April 9, 2015 at 2:31 pm

      Mormon?

      • AnotherReader April 9, 2015 at 9:33 pm

        Another Mormon comment from Another Moron.

    • fun bag April 9, 2015 at 3:29 pm

      mormons have lots of kids and they just turn them loose, and don’t bother watching them. i think they call it “free ranging” or some such nonsense. common sense out the window. “Don’t need no babysitter cuz the Lard is watchin’ my kids”. Put the 3yr old in the road..? …no big deal…

      • AnotherReader April 9, 2015 at 9:28 pm

        More bloviating from our local Gas Bag who knows zip of what he speaks. At other times you shoot your mouth off about those over-protective mormon parents afraid of everything around them. You really do show yourself the fool with every single comment.

        • fun bag April 10, 2015 at 5:10 pm

          sounds like crybaby robb, hahahaha

  • fun bag April 9, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    maybe put the teens on a remote gravel road til they figure out the brake pedal too

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