A tragic event unfolded in West Valley City last Thursday night when a 23-year-old man working on his car was struck by an 80-year-old driver, resulting in the loss of his legs. The man, who has not been named, was performing maintenance on his vehicle after it lost power and was consequently pinned between two vehicles after the elderly driver rear-ended him.
When authorities arrived, they discovered a horrifying scene. "The 23-year-old man was lying in the road with severe injuries, with one of his legs already amputated, when officers arrived at the scene," said Roxeanne Vainuku, a public information officer with the West Valley City Police Department, as obtained by ABC4. Despite the gravity of the situation, the man is expected to courageously survive, though now has to adjust to life without both of his legs.
The elderly woman involved in the collision was reported to have minor injuries from her seatbelt. According to KUTV, she disclosed to the police that she did not see the man's vehicle before hitting him. It was noted that the young man was unable to activate his hazard lights before the incident occurred.
Further details reveal the emergency medical response that followed. "With one leg amputated and the other severely damaged, the male was transported to the hospital. Unfortunately, he did lose both of his legs," said West Valley City Police Lt. Jason Vincent, as noted by KSL NewsRadio. The community has been left to grapple with the stark aftermath of a moment, a split second that irreversibly changed to forever affect a young man's life.
