Good Samaritan tries to chase hit-and-run suspect in West Valley City who killed 11-year old boy

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A witness is recounting trying to follow a hit-and-run driver, after the driver killed an 11-year old boy in West Valley City and took off.

West Valley City Police were still on the hunt for that driver until they announced an arrest Friday morning.

Police said the truck, which they described as a silver Toyota Tacoma or similar style, hit the boy as he walked with his mother south on 4000 West near 4200 South around 11:40 pm Wednesday night.

“They had gone downtown and done some sightseeing, they rode the bus home, they got off at the bus stop and started walking home,” explained Roxeanne Vainuku, West Valley City Police Deputy Director of Communications.

A man who said he was driving immediately behind that truck, saw the entire crash along with his wife and children.

He described a silver 2012 or newer Nissan Titan or full-size truck, driving normally on 4000 West headed south. He said the mother and son were walking off of the sidewalk along the road, and the truck veered off the road right where they happened to be.

The witness indicated that it was clear the driver of the silver pickup truck was trying to get away, as the witness followed. They drove down 4000 West and into Kearns. The man described how the hit-and-run driver ducked into a neighborhood in the area of 5135 S 4420 W, making twists and turns.

“I flashed my brights a couple of times and I honked my horn when I was getting closer to him, and that’s when he sped off from me,” The Good Samaritan recounted. With his children in the backseat, he couldn’t continue following the pickup truck for safety reasons.

He lost sight of the truck and never got the license plate. He did, however, get a glimpse of the damage done to the truck.

Vainuku said they do not plan to release the name of the boy who was hit and killed, because he is under 18 years old.