Brother of pedestrian hit and killed in South Salt Lake pleads with drivers to slow down
Sep 15, 2023, 10:49 AM | Updated: 11:01 am
SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — The family of a woman hit and killed by a car in South Salt Lake is pleading with drivers to slow down.
Carmen Daddow was actually hit by a car when she was just 3 years old, leading to a traumatic brain injury. According to family, she suffered from that her entire life, living on the streets for the last six years.
“I’m going to miss her,” said Travis Daddow, Carmen’s brother. “I’m just glad she is not suffering anymore. It’s been a long, hard life for her.”
Daddow said when he saw the news that a woman was hit and killed by a vehicle on Thursday near 3900 South and State Street, he feared it was his 44-year-old sister.
“I went to go check the areas where she was sleeping and the neighbors said they hadn’t seen her since (the night of the accident),” Daddow said.
Carmen Daddow was killed at 3900 South and State Street after she was struck by a car. (Carissa Hutchinson/KSL TV)
On Monday, he got a call from the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner confirming the auto-pedestrian victim was Carmen.
His sister joins a growing list of Utahns hit and killed on our roadways. In 2016, 106 pedestrians were killed. Just last year that number jumped to 176.
“Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in pedestrian fatalities,” said Kristen Hoschouer, safety outreach administrator with the Utah Department of Transportation.
Hoschouer said it was hard to pinpoint an exact cause of the uptick.
“We know that there are a lot of distractions out there with drivers. We think that may have a lot to do with it. There are a lot of aggressive drivers out there, so they may be speeding,” she said.
Hoschouer said the solution is a group effort, and that all drivers and pedestrians need to work together to decrease pedestrian fatalities.
It is a message Daddow agrees with, pleading with all drivers to be mindful of pedestrians.
“Yield to them as much as you can and do not be distracted by devices. We can probably save quite a bit more people that way,” he said.
Carmen Daddow was hit and killed by a vehicle in South Salt Lake on Thursday. (Photo courtesy: Travis Daddow)
Police said the driver who hit Carmen stayed at the crash scene and was cooperating with investigators. Her family has set up a GoFundMe* campaign to help with the unexpected funeral expenses.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
