SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Police in Salt Lake City are looking for the driver who hit a pedestrian downtown early Wednesday and left the scene. The crash happened around 12:45 a.m. near 400 South and Main Street, according to Lt. Joshua Moody of the Salt Lake Police Department.
Friends of the victim called emergency services after the collision. The pedestrian was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, but later died. Police have not released the person’s identity.
Crash happened just after midnight near a busy downtown intersection
Investigators said the pedestrian was struck in the area of 400 South and Main Street, a central stretch of downtown Salt Lake City that carries traffic late into the night and early morning. The crash occurred shortly before 1 a.m., when police say traffic in the area was still active.
Authorities have not said how many vehicles may have been involved beyond the one that fled. They also have not released a description of the driver or the vehicle while the investigation continues.
Friends called for help before the victim was taken to the hospital
Lt. Moody said the victim’s friends were the ones who alerted emergency responders after the pedestrian was hit. Emergency crews then transported the injured person to a hospital for treatment.
Police described the injuries as life-threatening at the scene. Despite that medical response, the victim later died from those injuries. The person’s name remains withheld as investigators continue notifying family and working through the case.
Police are waiting on surveillance video to identify a suspect vehicle
The hit-and-run investigation remains open, and officers are still searching for the driver. Investigators said they are waiting to receive surveillance video from the area, which could help them narrow down a suspect vehicle.
For now, police have not said whether they believe speed, impairment, distraction, or another factor played a role. The focus remains on identifying the driver and determining what led to the deadly strike.
Westbound traffic on 400 South was briefly shut down during the response
Police closed westbound traffic on 400 South during the early stages of the investigation. The shutdown was temporary and affected the area around the crash scene while officers worked at the intersection.
Officials later reopened all lanes. The roadway has since returned to normal traffic flow, even as investigators continue following up on evidence and possible video footage.
Deadly pedestrian crashes keep drawing attention in the Salt Lake area
The downtown death comes amid other recent fatal auto-pedestrian crashes in the Salt Lake region. Police and local outlets have reported similar cases in surrounding communities, underscoring how dangerous pedestrian collisions can be when a driver leaves the scene.
In this case, investigators still need to identify the person behind the wheel and piece together the moments before and after the impact. Until then, police are asking the public to help if they have information tied to the vehicle or the downtown area at the time of the crash.
