Mom wants drivers to pay attention, slow down after SUV hits her, son in crosswalk

TOOLE COUNTY —A mother and her son are recovering from injuries after being hit by an SUV in Stansbury Park.

It happened the day before Halloween last week near Bonneville Academy where Max Winn, 11, goes to school.

It was Max’s birthday and his mom Aubree Winn was walking him to school at about 8 a.m. 

They came up to the crosswalk where they grabbed an orange flag and made sure they were clear to go but as they walked through the crosswalk they were hit by a Dodge Durango that was making a left turn.  

“I just remember being folded over the vehicle like this, so my arms were on top of her hood and the front of her car is in my abdomen and I am lifted up in the air. Her bumper hit both of my shins and then when she realized she hit us (she braked) and I flew backward on my right side,” Aubree Winn said.  “It was the most intense pain from head to toe that I have ever felt.” 

“The car comes and it hits my leg and I just kind of blackout from there,” Max added.

The two say they feel lucky to be alive. Winn suffered severe bruising on her shins and right hip and her son broke his left leg.

“Amazingly lucky, like I don’t know how I walked away with no broken bones or no internal damage,” she said.

“I’ve heard of people dying by getting hit by cars,” Max said.

Because Bonneville Academy is a charter school the intersection is not designated as a school zone. So no crossing guards are provided and no flashing signs or lower speed limits are there.

Brittany Lopez, assistant Tooele County Manager, said the county is now conducting a safety study to see if it can designate it as a school zone. She told KSL that they are counting pedestrians crossing the intersection before and after school and also doing traffic counts on vehicles. She said the plan is to set up a meeting between the county and the school. “Our goal is to provide a safe community,” she said.

Corrie Norman, the co-chair of Bonneville Academy board of directors, said the school has been trying to work with the county for years to change it to a school zone and is sorry to see it took someone getting hit before the county would visit the issue again.

“I’m not concerned about the number of pedestrians crossing the street. I’m concerned about the number of children hit by cars,” Norman said.

Parents in Stansbury Park have also been frustrated and asked for help from county leaders.

“We don’t have a school zone, we don’t have the proper crosswalk, we do not have crossing guards from the sheriff’s department, these are teachers on rotation trying to keep our roads safe,” said resident Kendra Parry.

Winn and her son hope things can change and that drivers start to pay more attention.

“Slow down. I know you are in a hurry, maybe you are heading somewhere important but it’s not as important as someone’s life,” she said.

“Please just pay attention to the people around you and the things around you,” Max said.

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This story is part of an ongoing KSL TV initiative called “Stop for Students”. We encourage all Utahns to share their stories and solutions as we work together to prevent more pedestrian tragedies in our state. Show your support and spread the word by requesting a decal of your own.