Mom’s message to drivers after her son’s tragic Halloween
Oct 31, 2023, 6:53 PM
TAYLORSVILLE — The ghosts, goblins, and witches are filling the streets as Halloween night gets underway. That’s why some are pleading for drivers to be aware of their surroundings.
Cary Wall knows the dangers on the streets firsthand.
“A child was killed that night. A child was killed,” Wall said to KSL TV as she spoke of what happened to her son and another boy. “I’m a nurse and I know enough that when I came onto the scene that things were bad.”
It was two years ago when her son Spencer, 12, and his friend Karl Finch, 13, were hit by a car while trick-or-treating. The two were crossing an intersection in Taylorsville near 6200 South and 2700 West. They were doing everything right. They were at a crosswalk, holding the orange flags available for safety.
The car had no headlights, and the driver had a suspended license. Karl died of his injuries. Spencer was critically injured.“He broke his pelvis. He broke his leg. He broke his shoulder and his arm,” Wall said. Spencer also suffered a critical head injury and spend weeks in the hospital recovering.
The Walls still celebrate Halloween, but their message to drivers on this night is very clear.
“Be slow. Be on the lookout for kids outside and just be very mindful and attentive,” Wall said. “You know that kids are out tonight. Be mindful that it’s dark that you are looking and are aware.”
Utah Highway Patrol troopers agree. Drivers need to pay extra attention tonight.
“We know it’s going to be a busy night,” Sgt. Lawrence Hopper said. “We are noticing that Halloween is starting to become one of the deadliest holidays that we see.”
That’s why UHP is joining forces with other police agencies across the state to saturate the roads with an additional 130 officers statewide, all looking for impaired drivers.
Six police agencies will also be working pedestrian shifts to keep people safe.
“We are going to be out in full force tonight looking for those impaired drivers trying to get them off the streets before they hurt themselves or anybody else,” Hopper said.
