KEARNS — A 43-year-old woman who walked away from a group home for mentally and physically disabled people was hit by two vehicles and killed while trying to cross 5400 South early Wednesday.
The woman, whose name was not immediately released, was attempting to cross the street at 5160 West where she was hit by two eastbound vehicles, said Unified Police detective Chuck Malm.
The area was dark at the time of the incident, the woman was wearing dark clothing, and she was not in a crosswalk.
"By all accounts, this just appears to be a tragic accident," Malm said.
The woman, who police say was mentally disabled, lived at a group home about a block away from the crash.
"She got upset about something and left the house," Malm said.
The incident is the second fatal auto-pedestrian accident Unified officers have responded to in less than a week. On Saturday, Douglas Chavis, 60, was using a walker to cross Redwood Road at 4774 South where he was hit by a Chevy Malibu.
The driver of the Malibu drove off after hitting Chavis, who was not in a crosswalk, police said. Police were still looking for the driver Wednesday.
With the fall season now in full swing, pedestrians needed to remember to be safe, Malm said. Fall is typically when police see the most auto-pedestrian crashes because it gets darker earlier and stays darker longer, he said. Pedestrians need to always assume that drivers don't see them.
"Even though you have the right of way, the right of way could get you killed," Malm said.
Police say pedestrians should wear reflective clothing and always be aware of their surroundings.