Two separate pedestrian accidents occurred late October 31. The first involved a seventh and ninth grade girls.

The two girls were wearing dark clothing and were hit while crossing the street around 9 p.m. near 6475 S. 4800 West. They were not in a crosswalk at the time of the crash.

Police have said that a lack of visibility definitely could have been a contributing factor, but speed does not seem to have been a cause.

Both girls were taken to the hospital after the accident. One to Primary Children’s Medical Center and one to Intermountain Medical Center for facial and bone injuries.

Later that evening a 71-year-old female driver hit a 13-year-old boy in Uintah county. Weber County Sheriff Lt. Matthew Bell said that this accident, too, lacked any contributing factors. “There’s not a sidewalk on this portion of the street and it’s extremely dark. He was on the pavement on the road, but just on the side of the pavement,” Lt. Bell said.

The young boy was originally taken to McKay-Dee hospital, but was then flown to Primary Children’s Medical Center in critical condition. The authorities said that, though he was transported in critical condition, his injuries were not life threatening.

It is no secret that Halloween is a dangerous holiday for pedestrians and a stressful one for drivers. A study conducted by The Centers for Disease Control found that, “the number of childhood pedestrian deaths increased fourfold among children on Halloween evenings when compared with all other evenings.” This danger is amplified by the practice of wearing dark clothes and feeling uninhibited by normal rules, (ex: darting into the middle of streets).

No matter the situation we all need to be aware of cars and pedestrians around us. Especially on holidays that involve extra foot traffic. As a pedestrian, taking the time to apply some sort of visibility aid to your clothing like reflective tape, white material or simply carrying a flashlight, could possibly prevent you from being struck by a vehicle. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident the pedestrian accident attorneys at the Christensen Law Firm can help. Call us today at 801-506-0800 to find out what options are available to you.