Local
Henderson family urges slower driving after teen dies at crosswalk
Torrianne Mortensen, 14, was struck by an SUV while riding her e-scooter through a marked crosswalk near Saguaro Park Trail. Her parents say drivers often speed through the area and are calling for greater care around people crossing the road.
The family of Torrianne Mortensen, a 14-year-old Henderson girl who died after an SUV struck her e-scooter last week, is urging drivers to slow down and yield at crosswalks.
Mortensen was crossing Racetrack Road near Blue Lantern, close to Saguaro Park Trail, when the collision happened. Henderson police said several vehicles had stopped for her at the marked crosswalk when a Nissan SUV went around them and hit her. The SUV stopped several feet beyond the point of impact.
Her parents, Maranda and Jacob Mortensen, said Torrianne was wearing a helmet and using the crosswalk. They decided over the weekend to take her off life support. The family is donating her organs.
Maranda Mortensen said she and her husband were tracking their daughter’s location as she traveled home from school. When the location stopped in the middle of the crosswalk, they became concerned. A bystander called them and used FaceTime to show Jacob Mortensen the scene, where someone was performing CPR on Torrianne.
The family said speeding and drivers failing to stop for people crossing have long worried them. Maranda Mortensen estimated that vehicles commonly travel 40 to 45 mph on the road and said she had repeatedly seen drivers fail to yield at the crosswalk.
A memorial has formed at the crossing, including a sign reminding drivers that a person may be in the crosswalk. Jacob Mortensen urged motorists to slow down and pay attention, noting that children regularly use the streets in the area.
Henderson police said Michael Stanton, 64, was arrested by citation on suspicion of manslaughter, failure to exercise due care for a pedestrian and overtaking a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk. He is scheduled to appear in court in January. The allegations have not been adjudicated.