Teen arrested in Sandy hit-and-run

SANDY — A teenager was arrested Wednesday after a hit-and-run that caused a family's minivan to roll.

The mother and two small children inside escaped with minor or no injuries thanks to seat belts and child seats.

"Seat belts played a major role in keeping these people safe," said Sandy Police Sgt. Bill O'Neal.

The children, ages 2 and 3, were upside-down but still strapped into their seats when officers arrived, O'Neal said.

"They were totally fine. They were just looking around," he said.

Their mother, 30, who was also wearing a seat belt, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for minor leg injuries.

Their minivan was traveling on 9000 South just after 9 a.m. when a car turning left at the intersection of 700 East failed to let the van go by before making its turn, O'Neal said. The second vehicle clipped the minivan, causing it to slide sideways. Once the van hit the sidewalk curb, it flipped and rolled onto its hood.

The driver that caused the accident fled the scene, but O'Neal said another driver who witnessed the accident followed. The witness called police from a nearby neighborhood, and a 17-year-old girl was arrested.

The girl arrested did not have insurance and was driving on a temporary license with restrictions, one of those being she could drive only when accompanied by an adult, O'Neal said. Police say the driver in the accident was alone.

The girl was cited for investigation of a number of charges including leaving the scene of accident, no insurance and failure to yield.

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