Boy struck by car when running across Riverside Drive

A boy was taken to the hospital after being hit by a car while running across Riverside Drive at 2670 East, St. George, Utah, Jan. 8, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St, George News

ST. GEORGE — A juvenile was taken to the hospital Tuesday night after being hit by a car while attempting to run across Riverside Drive.

The incident was reported to the St. George Police and other responders at 6:10 p.m. after a group of four boys ran across Riverside Drive at 2760 East, St. George Police officer Joe Deim said.

Two of the boys made it across the roadway and another stopped in the middle lane when he saw he wouldn’t be able to get across due to oncoming traffic. However, the fourth boy kept running across the street and was struck by the car.

The car had been eastbound on Riverside Drive, and the driver didn’t notice the boys “til the last second” and hit the brakes, Deim said, adding that according to witnesses, the driver had tried to avoid the boys.

The boy appeared to receive minor injuries, and Deim said, though added he was not aware of what the full extend of the injures were at the time. The boy was lucky the driver was able to slow down, he said. The speed limit through that part of Riverside Drive is 40 mph.

The boy was taken the Dixie Regional Medical Center by ambulance.

The boys ran across the road in an area where there isn’t a designated crosswalk and is not the best lit at night, Deim said. He also instructed the other three boys who were still at the scene that there was a traffic light just a block away at 2450 East.

When asked why they didn’t cross at the light, Deim said they told him they were in a hurry to cross the road.

“It’s a learning experience for them,” he said.

The eastbound traffic on Riverside Drive near 2760 East was impacted for an estimated 45 minutes until the scene was cleared.

Ed. note: The article has been updated to clarify that the extent of the boy’s injuries were not known as the time police spoke to St. George News.  

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

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13 Comments

  • LunchboxHero January 9, 2019 at 11:00 am

    Poor little guy! Hope he’s okay.

  • Kristle January 9, 2019 at 2:05 pm

    7 broken bones

  • Kristle January 9, 2019 at 2:11 pm

    My sons minor injuries are currently being operated on at primary children’s hospital in salt lake. He was life flighted last night.

    • Redbud January 9, 2019 at 7:50 pm

      Hope he will be OK! Sorry about your son.

  • Comment January 9, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    that really sucks

  • KR567 January 10, 2019 at 5:59 am

    Live and learn eh ?

  • mshaw January 10, 2019 at 6:21 am

    Will he get sighted for hit and run?
    I hope all the boys get a j walk ticket but the parents went to primary children’s to take advantage of the system that was meant for kids that really need help

    • Heidi January 10, 2019 at 10:36 am

      Can I just say that was my best friend that got hit by a car and my little brother was one of the boys who made it across and you are just full of crap If your trying to say that the parents are taking advantage of the system bc they lied there are not miner inguries the kid has a broken neck, collar bone, ankle, shin, and arm and blacked out and woke up not knowing what happened he has to be in the hospital up to 4 months so for you guys to just sit here and say stuff like this pissed me off

      • Diane January 10, 2019 at 5:29 pm

        And that was my brother who was hit. I’m not even in the same state and I just now heard. God if you find out anymore please text me if you know him you know who this is hopefully this is Hailey. Thank you.

    • Heidi January 10, 2019 at 10:41 am

      Also you guys weren’t there and had no idea what happened so stop commenting …* and posting …* if you have no idea what happened

      * Ed. ellipsis added

    • Comment January 10, 2019 at 11:56 am

      Woah! And I thought I was a negatist. You outdo me by quite a stretch it looks like.

      I don’t imagine they’d have sent him up there unless the the docs felt it was necessary?

    • Jennifer January 11, 2019 at 8:57 pm

      Insensitive and rude.

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