Police: Distracted driver hits student in crosswalk on SUU campus

EMS vehicles stock image | Photo by Katifcam/iStock/Getty Images Plus, Cedar City News / St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A student was sent to the hospital Monday evening after being hit by a car while he was walking on the Southern Utah University campus.

Cedar City Police responded to the incident involving a 17-year-old male SUU student who was hit by a woman driving a four-door Saturn at the intersection of 200 South and 500 West in Cedar City at approximately 7:20 p.m.

The crosswalk, indicated by a red circle, where a student was hit by a car on the Southern Utah University Campus, Cedar City, Utah | Image courtesy of Google Maps, Cedar City News / St. George News

In a statement to Cedar City News, SUU Marketing Communication Director Nikki Koontz said the student was crossing the crosswalk between the Gerald R. Sherratt Library and the Eccles Living Learning Center.

Witnesses at the scene told police the driver was looking at her phone when she hit the student, Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack said.

Medical personnel from Gold Cross Ambulance transported the teen to Cedar City Hospital.

The student was treated for minor injuries, Koontz said, adding that he was released from the hospital and is back on campus and will be returning to class.

“Student safety is our primary concern,” SUU Vice President for Student Affairs Jared Tippets said in the university’s statement. “We ask all drivers to slow down and be aware of their surroundings especially near campus.”

The woman received a citation for distracted driving, Womack said.

Southern Utah University Police also responded to assist at the scene.

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

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  • LunchboxHero September 12, 2018 at 8:04 am

    “Cited”, eh? Until there are stiffer penalties for cell phone use, this is going to keep happening, and happening, and happening, and happening, and happening. Since the concept of personal responsibility is going away in our society, they’ll have to do something drastic like installing phone jammers in cars, or, here’s an idea, actually punishing offenders with JAIL time. We have got to start sending a message that this is not okay.

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