By Jacquelyn Springgay
Wednesday, (Nov. 29, 2006) two days after a man was arrested for traffic violations, he hit a BYU student on her way to school.
At a crosswalk on University Avenue and 1800 North, William Harrison Clayton, 56, struck BYU student Sara Young, 21, who was crossing the street with an orange flag in hand. Young was on her way to school from her residence, Provo police officer Phil Webber said.
Several cars stopped for Young to allow her to cross the street, but Clayton did not stop his car. Instead, he “swung his vehicle to the right, overcorrected and came back to the left across the crosswalk” and hit her, Webber said.
“She was carrying an orange flag,” Webber said. “I need to make a big deal out of that. I don”t know how people can miss that.”
Seven witnesses watched Clayton do donuts on the street, Webber said. “I don”t know why he did that.”
Clayton fled in his car to a BYU parking lot.
Young was taken to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. She stayed overnight and was released Thursday afternoon.
“The only thing that is broken is my cheekbone,” Young said from her hospital room. “And I have a concussion.”
She could only remember her nephews visiting her in the hospital on Wednesday, she said.
“I don”t remember anything about [Wednesday],” she said. “I don”t even remember getting ready for school. They”ve told me I was just crossing the crosswalk with my little orange flag, and the car behind the row of cars lost control at 40 mph and hit me.”
Young”s father, Rodger Young, was also in her hospital room.
“When she woke up, she was concerned it was her fault,” he said. “When she found out what really happened, she said she forgave him and talked about praying for him.”
Young will stay at her parent”s house in Salt Lake City for the weekend. She hopes to be back in school on Monday.
Police arrested Clayton on charges of driving without insurance, driving on a suspended driver”s license, possession of marijuana, hit and run with injuries or death, possession of prescription drugs without prescriptions and causing an accident with injuries while driving under the influence of alcohol, according to court documents. His bail was set at $7,405.
Clayton was also arrested on Nov. 27 for possession of a controlled substance, driving on a suspended license and a red light violation. His recommended bail was set at $82, according to court documents.
On Dec. 24, 1979, Provo police arrested Clayton on four homicide charges and two vehicle-theft charges. He was released from prison in December 2003. From 2005 to 2006, Clayton spent another year in jail for other violations of the law and was released on March 28 of this year, according to prison officials.
Clayton is scheduled to appear in court today.
Jacob Hancock contributed to this story.
