Lehi City News
11-year-old boy hit; drivers urged to slow down near parks
Nichole Coombs | Lehi Free Press
Neighbors near Bandwagon Park attended the Lehi City Council meeting last week, urging drivers to slow down after an 11-year-old boy was hit on June 6, 2026.
The boy was on his electric bike, headed home after baseball practice, when he crossed 900 North and 300 West.
“That Saturday was a normal day,” said Jared Franklin, the boy’s father. “There were just 100 cars parked around the area, and he was going west on 900 North; he slowed at the corner, but there are so many blind spots around there. He was just being an 11-year-old kid and headed out and t-boned a van.”
The boy broke his collarbone, and the vehicle was damaged.
“He probably wasn’t driving as well as he should, but it’s still a dumb accident that happened to a kid right there by a park,” said Franklin.
Scott Murff, who lives in the neighborhood, spoke at a Lehi City Council meeting after the accident.
“It is a very busy street,” said Murff. “I think that’s the only street that doesn’t have any stop signs [from State Street south to Main Street].”
The boy wasn’t wearing a helmet, and Franklin says they are lucky that his son wasn’t more seriously hurt.
“We have them; he knows he’s supposed to wear it; he just didn’t wear it this time, and this is what happened, and we’ve talked a lot about that,” said Franklin. “The woman who was driving the van was also traumatized by the accident. We are so lucky she wasn’t flying down the road.”
Franklin says the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour but says it’s not unusual to see people going 40 miles per hour when they drive through the intersection by the park.
“I think whether it’s lights, speed bumps, or something else, something needs to be done,” said Murff. “With the number of kids and traffic and new construction that’s going on, it’s becoming an issue we need to really look at.”
There are existing crosswalks at the intersection, and crossing guards are present during the school year to ensure children’s safety. However, in the summer, when school is not in session and the park is busy with children, no additional safety precautions are in place to protect pedestrians from oncoming traffic.
Franklin highlighted a potential safety solution, saying, “You see those buttons on crosswalks that flash when someone needs to cross the road. That would help alert drivers to the presence of children at the crosswalks.”
Franklin said putting a police officer in the area to monitor traffic isn’t a solution, but a band-aid.
“Handing out tickets stops that one person from speeding, but it doesn’t really solve the problem,” said Franklin. “What we need is community awareness and a more permanent solution.”
Residents urge Lehi City traffic engineers to prioritize a thorough review of the intersections near parks and implement effective safety measures for pedestrians. Meanwhile, they call on all motorists to take immediate responsibility: slow down near parks and actively watch for children at intersections.
Both the boy who was hit and the driver of the vehicle are expected to make full recoveries.
