SPANISH FORK, Utah -- It’s almost been one year since a 17-year-old boy from Spanish Fork was hit and killed by a driver while walking home from a party.
Nathan Haun was found dead on the side of the road in the early morning hours of July 13.
On Tuesday, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office renewed their search to find the person who killed him.
“That driver that’s responsible knows they did it. And they need to come forward, and that’s what we’re asking for,” said Det. Quin Fackrell.
They posted a sign in the same spot Haun was killed on Arrowhead Trail, in between Salem and Payson. In bright, red letters, it asks drivers, “Remember Nathan Haun?”
“One of the motivations for putting up the sign is possibly that driver that’s responsible will see it and finally come forward,” Fackrell said.
Since Haun’s body was found, his parents have been waiting for answers in the case.
“We’re doing alright,” said his father, Preston Haun.
The couple recently sold their home, a place that started to become too difficult to bear after their son’s death.
“It depends on the day,” said Haun’s mother, Tammy.
Two weeks ago, they spent the day clearing out his room. All his belongings will move with them to a new home they’re building in town.
“You pull things out of his drawers and cabinets and think, ‘I remember this and I remember that,’” said Preston Haun.
For the family, not knowing who took their son’s life is almost as difficult as losing him.
“I imagine it in my head. It was pretty horrific,” Preston Haun said. “And so, for someone to actually do it and witness it, and not have those same dreams, I just don’t know.”
According to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, the person who hit Haun was likely driving a 1994 Dodge truck. They are currently analyzing a piece of the vehicle found at the scene of the accident, but because of how common the truck is, they’re not optimistic it will lead to the driver.
“There’s no possible the way the person that hit him doesn’t know they did it,” Fackrell said. “We feel the family deserves closure.”
