GUNNISON, Utah — A year after a 10-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a car while crossing a Gunnison street, a new crosswalk in the town will help prevent a tragedy like that from happening again.
Last July, Xander Vincent was coming home from the pool and crossing 100 South when he was struck by a car and died.
Because Main Street is a state road, the Utah Department of Transportation studied the intersection where Xander died and decided to place a crosswalk with flashing lights at the location.
Xander’s mom, Heather Vincent, watched crews install the crosswalk over the past few weeks.
"I was so excited, like this last week, I’ve been full of emotions,” she said.
The first crosswalk is the first in the valley and Gunnison Valley Police Chief Jason Adamson hopes it will slow down drivers and help pedestrians cross safely.
"It was a horrible tragedy, being here on that day, but it did help bring our community together and getting this crosswalk, it was I would say the catalyst for helping us get this in our city and making some changes that really are moving us in the right direction when it comes to safety,” Chief Adamson said.
Heather shared how her son was so loved.
"He just loved everybody, he loved life, he was just the sweetest boy.,” she said. “Everybody who met him was just best friend instantly, he never met a stranger.”
The past 13 months have been hard for Heather, but she was glad to see change at the intersection.
"This is where my little boy lost his life, just where he lost his life, and its hard,” Heather said. “But it’s good to see that something is being done.”
Since the crash, Heather has made it her mission to advocate for safety on roads. She has organized events to promote bike safety and give out helmets and safety gear to kids. Heather also wants to raise awareness about Xander’s story and remind drivers to be careful and look out for kids on the street.
"I just don’t want any other parent to go through what I went through,” she said.
Chief Adamson said police will be doing enforcement to educate drivers, and these lights should be flashing soon.
Right next to the crosswalk stands a sign, honoring a boy whose legacy might save lives. It says "In memory of Xander Vincent," to remind people of a life lost too soon.
"It makes me cry,” Heather said of whe she sees the sign. “We always tell him we love him when we go by, that’s our thing."
