Car plows into Kearns students on sidewalk

KEARNS — Several Kearns Junior High School students were injured Wednesday afternoon on Salt Lake County's west side when a car plowed into them and then eventually landed on top of one of them.

The car was traveling south on 4015 West near 5700 South at about 3 p.m. when witnesses say the white Toyota Camry veered onto the sidewalk and struck at least six students who were walking home from school, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson.

The driver was identified as 50-year-old Luka Wall Kang.

Officers at the scene said they don't know what caused Kang to drive onto the sidewalk, but Hutson said there "doesn't appear to be any attempt to not strike the kids."

Hutson said investigators found no skid marks or any evidence of braking throughout the entire length of the long accident scene. Hutson also said there were no obvious signs that alcohol was a factor.

After the car ran into two small crowds, one young man rode on the still-moving vehicle for another 75 yards where the car hit the corner of a small residential brick wall. After crashing into the masonry wall, the car rolled on to its roof, landing on the boy, Hutson said.

"We are hearing that the car was going 20 to 30 miles per hour, but at some point he did accelerate," Hutson said. "He passed one group of kids and instead of braking there was accelerating."

The boy who was trapped under the car was initially taken to the hospital in critical condition but was upgraded to serious condition three hours later. He was expected to remain in the hospital overnight for observation.

Two other children were taken to local hospitals in serious condition. Another two were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and one of the students was unharmed.

Hutson said no one is believed to have life-threatening injuries.

Hutson said Kang's car was registered in Arizona, but he is residing by himself in Kearns.

Investigators were doing all they could to try and find more information about Kang, Hutson said.

Some neighbors congregating at the scene of the accident Wednesday evening had heard there was a passenger in the car with Kang who fled the scene after the accident, but the sheriff's office doesn't believe that is true.