Utah teen, 17, succumbs to traumatic injuries after being run over by pick-up truck en route to school
SPRINGVILLE HIGH, UTAH: A 17-year-old Springville teenager reportedly died from traumatic injuries after being hit by a pick-up truck while she was walking to school on Tuesday, October 25.
Lilly Warren, a high school senior at Springville High in Utah, was hit near 620 S Canyon Road about 7.44 am, according to a report by The Salt Lake Tribune. The driver of the truck remained at the scene and even cooperated with authorities. Warren was taken to Utah Valley Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday, October 26.
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According to People, police have launched a probe into the matter and have cordoned off the area. No charges have been filed. Police have not released much information on the matter.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to raise money to help pay medical bills, Warren "was resuscitated at the scene" but "suffered multiple injuries, including a severe traumatic brain injury." As of Thursday, October 27, the fundraising page has already raised almost $36,000 of its $50,000 goal. "The light of our life, Lilly Warren, passed away peacefully at Utah Valley Hospital surrounded by her family after succumbing to her injuries from the tragic accident on Canyon Road in Springville, Utah," read an update on the GoFundMe page.
"We are so grateful to all of the witnesses, first responders, bystanders, and Utah Valley Hospital staff who rendered lifesaving care to Lilly and helped her to survive one more day so that we could all be gathered around her and let her know how much she is loved before she passed," the post continues.
The GoFundMe page organizer, who set up the page on the behalf of Warren’s family, further said that the death of the young teenager had left her younger brother and so many of her family, friends and classmates devastated. "We had an amazing day with some reassuring hand squeezes that let us all know that Lilly could hear us, hearts go out to the driver and his family who are also grieving at this time," the statement on the GoFundMe page further reads.
"Lilly will live on through organ donation and will bless the lives of other families who have waited for their own miracle," the heartbreaking post further stated.
The heart-wrenching news of Warren's death came amid an alarming rise in auto-pedestrian crashes on Utah roads. A report by ABC4 read that road crashes in the state have claimed 130 lives from January 1, 2021, to June 15, 2021, according to reports from the Utah Department of Transportation. In this same timeframe in 2020, UDOT data reported 102 fatalities, the report read.
Sgt. Brian Petersen with Utah Highway Patrol in September said that 117 people had been hit by cars in 2022 so far. On average, there were 39 deadly auto-pedestrian crashes annually. "We are already at that number this year. We are seeing a lot of fatalities with pedestrians. You can get sucked into your phone or conversation, but pay attention to the vehicles around you,” he said, according to KSLTV