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WEST JORDAN — After a 13-year-old boy riding a bike was killed in a hit-and-run crash in West Jordan on Tuesday, a 50-year-old male driver has been arrested, police said.
Police on Wednesday identified the man as Mason Andrew Ohms of Saratoga Springs.
The incident happened at 6 p.m. at 1510 W. 9000 South when a 13-year-old boy from West Jordan was hit in a crosswalk by a light-colored Chevrolet pickup truck with a mounted ladder rack and equipment in the back of the truck, police said.
According to witnesses, the young biker was crossing southbound at the crosswalk on 9000 South when the driver of the truck turned right from southbound 1510 West onto westbound 9000 South and hit the biker before driving away.
When police arrived, the 13-year-old was not breathing, so they performed CPR, and then West Jordan Fire Department transported him to Intermountain Medical where he was pronounced dead, police said.
"It's very difficult because a lot of our officers are family-oriented; they have kids," West Jordan police officer Samuel Winkler said.
The family said the boy who lived in the neighborhood had ridden his bicycle to the store to get a treat and was on his way home.
"Unfortunately we are seeing more and more hit-and-runs," Winkler said. "We're not sure why people are deciding that it's OK to hit another vehicle or another person and just leave the scene. It doesn't matter what the reason is ... you have to stay and talk to people. It's against the law (to leave); it's just not right. Please stay and make sure that the people are OK, that the other drivers are taken care of, that the property is taken care of. That's the right thing to do and unfortunately, this 13-year-old was killed.
"You just can't leave a person mortally wounded in the street and not check to see that they're OK. That's just wrong."
Winkler said officers "worked tirelessly" to track down and arrest the male driver who they said fled the scene and thanked the witnesses for their assistance.
"At 6 o'clock in the afternoon when this happened, this was a very busy intersection," he said. "We had witnesses who were able to follow this vehicle, obtain a license plate, get additional information on that vehicle."
The 50-year-old driver did not turn himself in and was arrested in Saratoga Springs, Winkler said.
The family of the 13-year-old who died has been notified, but the name of the boy has not been released. Counselors at the boy's school have been notified so they can be on hand to help his classmates on Wednesday.
Ohms has been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality and automobile homicide, Winkler said in a news release.
Contributing: Linda Williams
