13-year-old trick-or-treating with friend dies after they’re hit by car, Utah cops say
A group of trick-or-treaters was crossing a Utah street when a car drove through the crosswalk, striking two boys — one fatally, police said.
Karl Finch, 13, died in the morning of Nov. 1 after being flown to a hospital, the Taylorsville Police Department said in a news release.
His 12-year-old friend , Spencer Wall, was transported to the hospital while two other children were narrowly missed, KSL-TV reported.
Wall is expected to recover, police said.
The friends, dressed as Greasers, were out trick-or-treating on Oct. 30, the outlet reported.
“This is a tragic accident,” Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam said in the news release. “We hope incidents like this never happen, especially on Halloween weekend when children are outside celebrating. At this time, we pray for comfort for the Finch family. All of us at the City of Taylorsville extend to them our deepest sympathy.”
Finch, Wall and the two other children were using a crosswalk around 7 p.m. when a driver hit them, police said. A man, woman and baby were in the sedan, KSTU reported.
The crosswalk did not have blinking lights but there were crossing flags, which officials said the children may have used, KTVX reported.
“It’s not extremely well-lit, but it’s definitely not pitch-dark either,” Cottam told the news outlet.
Both boys were taken to the hospital. Finch had surgery to reduce swelling in his brain before dying from his injuries, KSTU reported.
Wall had surgery to remove blood clots in his brain, according to a GoFundMe donation page.
Speed wasn’t a factor in the incident, Cottam told McClatchy News, and the driver hasn’t been arrested.
Investigators are determining if the driver’s headlights were on — or if impairment was a factor in the deadly incident, Cottam said.
The driver remained on scene and cooperated with authorities, he said.
Finch studied Mandarin, loved playing baseball and the piano, a GoFundMe created to cover medical and funeral costs said.
“This kind hearted, intelligent young man was just beginning to make his mark in the world,” the fundraising page said.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 3:00 PM with the headline "13-year-old trick-or-treating with friend dies after they’re hit by car, Utah cops say."
