A 13-year-old girl was hit by a dump truck Tuesday morning in Highland and flown to Primary Children's Medical Center with a broken leg, facial fractures and internal bleeding.
The girl was riding her bike south on the shoulder of 4800 West near Lone Peak High School at about 9 a.m. when she was struck by the northbound 10-wheeler, Alpine-Highland Police Chief Kip Botkin said.
Primary Children's hospital would not release the girl's condition Tuesday night, but a Utah Highway Patrol official said he believed the girl would survive.
Botkin said the 13-year-old was carrying a pet, possibly a cat, and riding with one hand when she was hit.
The dump truck, which was hauling a trailer, swerved into a southbound lane to miss her.
"Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic, or there could have been a head-on collision," Botkin said.
He said the girl was also lucky that she wasn't hit head on; she was struck a glancing blow near the truck's passenger side headlight.
Police said the girl was vomiting blood after the accident, but was also conscious and talking, a good sign, according to Botkin.
Police talked to the driver of the truck and a friend who was riding her bike with the girl, as well as several witnesses. Police are still investigating the crash and whether the dump truck met safety requirements, although it appears the girl may have drifted into traffic.
"We're real fortunate in that the dump truck took evasive action to miss her," Botkin said.
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