Utah family continues to search for answers of fatal hit-and-run of Provo student
Sep 12, 2023, 7:04 PM | Updated: Nov 3, 2023, 4:15 pm
PROVO, Utah — A Utah family is still searching for answers nearly 10 months after a hit-and-run crash claimed the life of a young Utah Valley University student.
Isabelle Parr was just 21 when she was hit and killed on Dec. 1, 2022, while jogging near 820 North and 800 West in Provo. Her body was found left unattended on the road.
“I can’t really wrap my head around it that somebody would just decide to leave,” said Lizzy Bettinson, Isabelle’s cousin.
Since Parr’s death, Bettinson says it’s been months of heartbreak and confusion with very few leads.
The most promising lead was home security photos of two vehicles that were in the area at the time she was killed.
The photos were released days after Isabelle’s death by the Provo Police Department. One photo identifies a blue crossover SUV, and the other shows a dark-colored four-door pickup truck.
“The hardest part, I think, for everybody, is not knowing; we don’t know a whole lot, and the police don’t have a whole lot of stuff either,” Bettinson said. “And it’s kind of just nobody knows how to move on and go from there with the lack of information.”
Bettinson shared new photos of Isabelle with KSL TV Tuesday, hoping to inspire anyone with information about what happened the night Parr was killed to contact police. She also shared a message for the unknown driver.
“We’re just asking for closure of any sort of little closure,” Bettinson said. “And I’m hoping they can find something in their hearts to come forward and say something.”
While many questions remain unanswered, Bettison says she tries to remember the wonderful life her cousin lived. She tries to focus on her friendship and the light she brought to the world.
“Her favorite flower is the sunflower, and that’s honestly the best way to describe her. She was just so yellow and happy and always facing towards the sun,” she said.
Isabelle Parr at a U of U game. (Courtesy: Lizzy Bettinson)
Parr was a student at UVU when she was killed and had recently returned from serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bettison hopes she’ll be remembered for her kindness and service, and her love for others.
“She was just the nicest person you’d ever meet, and she always just wanted to make people happy and smile, and she always made people laugh. That was the greatest thing about her,” she said.
A reward of up to $20,000 has been offered for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the person who failed to stop and help Parr. Anyone with information is asked to contact Provo police.
