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SANDY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A Sandy teenager was fighting for his life Monday night after being hit by a truck over the weekend.
Dylan Gibbs was crossing a busy street where he shouldn’t have, but police say the accident may not have been entirely his fault—or the driver’s.
The crash happened at an unfinished TRAX crossing on 106th South in Sandy. Although there is no crosswalk, it is a popular place to cross the street and that may be part of the reason why this teenager was hit.
The 14-year-old had to be air lifted to Primary Children’s Medical Center where he is still in a medically induced coma.
The Gibbs family is struggling with what happened.
“This has really been devastating,” said Dylan’s aunt. "We're just sticking together and hoping he'll come out of this and be whole and be the 14-year-old playful, active, wonderful kid that he is."
Dylan was crossing the street after church with his brothers when he was hit by the truck. But police say the driver wasn’t at fault.
"At this point, he doesn't seem to be receiving any citations for this incident," said Sandy Police spokesmen Troy Arnold.
And although Dylan was crossing this street illegally, he may not be to blame either.
The problem is that the road is confusing for both drivers and pedestrians. For example, there is a bike path that runs through the middle of the road. There is even a sign that tells drivers to expect people on bikes to cross the street.
Ever since UTA put in the TRAX lines, it seems like the most natural place for people to cross. However, if you are walking the path and there are signs that say you cannot cross, you must go all the way to 7th East or down to State Street.
It is legal to cross at the unmarked crossing up the street, but as ABC witnessed on Monday, no one uses it.
Pedestrians continued to cross in the exact same place where Dylan was hit, even though they know it is dangerous.
"You think that you're safe to go across, you think the other people in the other lane aren't watching for you then you'll be more open to being hit," said one Sandy resident.
However, the problem remains that many pedestrians still do not know where, or how to cross safely at this unfinished TRAX crossing in Sandy.
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