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Show Cedar City Child Killed by Auto In Highway 91 Crossing Accident A tragic traffic accident south of Cedar City on Highway 91, near the Whiting Bros. Service Station, claimed the life of three-year-old Chris Edward Christen-sen, Christen-sen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dili Christensen, Wednesday morning morn-ing at 10:30. The child was hit by an automobile auto-mobile driven by Wallace George Taylor, 45, of Rolfe, Iowa, when the boy attempted to cross the busy highway to return to his home on 550 West Street and approximately ap-proximately 950 South Street, just off the highway. It was the first traffic fatality fatali-ty recorded In Cedar City since 1953, according to Chief of Police Tony Lambert. Other investigating investigat-ing officers Included Highway Patrolmen Robert Reed and El- ' Roy Mason and Iron County Sheriff Sher-iff Arthur Nelson. I Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, their two children and another couple, Mr. I and Mrs. Clifford Ashel, were traveling south enroute to Los Angeles when the accident occurred. oc-curred. The- Christensen child and other children had previously previous-ly crossed the highway and were playing on the south side with other children of that area. The children were returning home and had just come out of the weeds and grass, approximately three feet in height prior to the accident. The children had waited for a northbound vehicle to pass, which turned in front of the car driven by Mr. Taylor, when the three-year-old began to cross the highway. high-way. The youth became visible to the driver of the car when he was near the middle of the road where he hesitated, according to Mr. Taylor's statement. At that time Taylor swung his car to the right to avoid the boy. The boy, however, continued across the highway into the southbound lane. Then the driver attempted to swing to the left. The vehicle failed to clear and the boy was struck by the right front portion of the car. The impact threw the youth 111 feet and death was apparently apparent-ly instantaneous. The vehicle skidded a total of 150 feet, !x feet before the impact and 100 feet beyond. Estimated speed of the vehicle by investigation officers of-ficers was 60 miles per hour in a similarly posted zone. A coroner's jury was held Wednesday Wed-nesday afternoon and death was determined as accidental. The youth is survived by his parents, four brothers and sis-ters, sis-ters, Chad D., Kim, Katherin, and Karen Lee, and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Haldow E. Christensen, and Mr. and Mrs. Layton Dennett, Den-nett, all of Cedar City. Funeral services will be held In the Cedar Seventh Ward chapel cha-pel Friday, June 13 at 2 p. m. under the direction of Jensen Mortuary. Burial will he at the Cedar City cemetery. |