WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A 7-year-old West Valley City boy is home after spending months in the hospital recovering from injuries he suffered when a car struck him on his way to school.
Michael was hit by a driver making a right turn. The driver stopped at the stop sign and looked for traffic, but did not see Michael crossing.
His mother, Bensay Joseph, says he had liver surgery and is recovering from a head injury. She says he is going through speech, physical, and behavioral therapy. "The hardest part about all of this is watching Michael in pain every day," Joseph said.
Michael is learning how to eat again and is beginning to play with his siblings again.
"Michael was very independent. He showered, brushed his teeth," Joseph said.
Joseph says she worried throughout his hospitalization. "I worried every day that he wasn't going to make it," Joseph said.
John Gleason of UDOT said driver attention is critical to preventing tragedies like this one. "There's far too many times that if you take your attention off of where it needs to be, looking for not only those bigger vehicles but also pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists, then the results can be a tragic thing," Gleason said.
West Valley Police says charges of improper lookout have been screened against the driver, but it is unclear whether prosecutors will file that charge.
Despite the long road still ahead, Joseph says she is grateful to have her family together again. "I feel complete now that my children are home," Joseph said.
