A 7-year-old boy riding a scooter was struck by an SUV in Cedar City on Monday morning and later airlifted to Salt Lake City for treatment, police said. The child sustained significant injuries, including head trauma, and was pinned beneath the vehicle before first responders were able to free him. Emergency crews first took the boy to Cedar City Hospital, then arranged a flight to a pediatric center in Salt Lake City.
Crash details
According to KUTV, the Cedar City Police Department said the collision happened around 8:20 a.m. in the 1100 North block of North Field Road. Investigators reported that an SUV backing out of a parking space hit the boy as he rode his scooter. The impact left the child pinned under the vehicle and suffering significant injuries, including head trauma. Police said the incident remains under investigation.
Child airlifted to Salt Lake
Emergency crews later arranged for the boy to be flown to Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake City for specialized pediatric care. The hospital, located on the University of Utah campus, serves as the region’s pediatric referral center. Hospital officials typically do not comment on individual patients, and no update on the child’s condition has been released.
Police safety reminder
The Cedar City Police Department urged drivers to “exercise increased caution while driving in areas where children are present, especially during morning and afternoon hours,” the department said, as reported by KUTV. Officers reminded motorists to stay alert and carefully check their surroundings when backing out of parking spaces or driveways. Police said the crash is still under investigation and did not release information about the SUV’s occupants.
Backover risks and safety tips
Backover crashes disproportionately injure small children because their short stature can put them in drivers’ blind spots. The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that driveway and parking-lot backovers present a particular danger and recommends close supervision of children and walking around vehicles before backing up. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes that rearview cameras and other driver-assistance technologies have helped reduce these types of crashes, but emphasizes that driver vigilance is still crucial.
