Nina Caldwell
In a tragic accident, a father accidentally killed his 6-year-old daughter while golfing in Utah in 2019. The girl, identified as Aria Hill, was sitting in a golf cart when a ball hit by her father struck her in the neck, causing her death. The incident shocked the community, and police believed it to be an accident without any charges being brought against the father. This unfortunate event highlights the unpredictable nature of accidents and the devastating impact they can have on families.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the daughter | Aria Hill |
| Age of the daughter | 6 years old |
| Name of the father | Kellen |
| Location | Sleepy Ridge Golf Course, Orem, Utah |
| Date | Monday, July 16, 2019 |
| Time | Morning |
| Activity | Golfing |
| Position of the golf cart | Between 45 and 90 degrees to the father's left |
| Part of the body struck | Back of the neck/head |
| Death | Occurred the same night at the hospital |
| Cause of death | Accident |
| Charges | None |
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What You'll Learn
Aria Hill was father's 'golfing buddy'
Aria Hill, a 6-year-old girl from Utah, died after being struck by a golf ball hit by her father, Kellen, during a father-daughter golfing trip. Aria was sitting in a golf cart when the ball hit her in the base of her neck. She was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and died that night.
Aria was described as her father's "golfing buddy" by her uncle, David Smith. Smith said that Aria frequently went golfing with her dad and that she always stayed in the cart. "She loved doing it and had a good time with it all," Smith told KSL. "That was one of their things that they would do together. It was something that was really important to them and something they did all the time."
The head golf instructor at the course, Steven Marett, said that while he had occasionally seen people get hit by golf balls before, he had never heard of anyone being killed or seriously injured. "This is absolutely unimaginable, and it's been devastating to see it at the course and in the community," he said.
Police are investigating Aria's death but believe it was a tragic accident. No charges are expected to be filed.
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Ball struck her in the neck
In a tragic incident in July 2019, a 6-year-old girl, Aria Hill, died after being struck by a golf ball hit by her father, Kellen, during a father-daughter golfing trip in Orem, Utah. Aria was sitting in a golf cart when the ball struck her in the neck, specifically at the base of her neck or the back of her neck. She was neither directly in front of or behind where the ball was struck but was positioned between 45 and 90 degrees to her father's left as he stood on the teebox.
Aria was rushed to the hospital by helicopter, but she succumbed to her injuries that night. The head golf instructor at the course, Steven Marett, expressed shock at the incident, stating that while people occasionally got hit by golf balls, he had never heard of anyone being killed or seriously injured before. He described the event as "absolutely unimaginable."
Aria's mother, Talysa, paid tribute to her daughter on a GoFundMe page, remembering her as a "silly, spunky, creative, unique, and so so full of love" little girl who brought "contagious joy and light" to everyone she met. Aria's uncle, David Smith, also shared that she frequently went golfing with her father and that she would always be in the cart while her father played. He described her as her father's "golfing buddy" and said that golfing was something they loved doing together.
While the police investigated the incident, they believed it was an accident and did not pursue charges. The community, including the golfing course, and Aria's family were left devastated by the unimaginable tragedy.
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Police believe it was an accident
A Utah family is mourning the tragic death of a six-year-old girl, Aria Hill, who was fatally struck by a golf ball hit by her father during a game. Aria was sitting in a golf cart when the ball hit her in the base of her neck, and she died later that night in the hospital.
Police are investigating the incident but believe it was an accident. They do not plan to bring any charges against the father. Orem Police Lt. Trent Colledge stated that the golf cart where Aria was sitting was not directly in front of her father when the ball struck her, supporting the belief that it was unintentional.
Aria's uncle, David Smith, shared that she frequently went golfing with her dad and that she was his ""golfing buddy". He added that she always stayed in the cart while her father played. The head golf instructor at the course, Steven Marett, expressed his shock at the incident, stating that while people occasionally get hit by golf balls, he had never heard of anyone being seriously injured or killed before.
The community, including Aria's school and the local golfing community, has been deeply impacted by the tragic accident. A GoFundMe page was set up to support the family, with the mother, Talysa, sharing a heartfelt tribute to her daughter: "Aria was the sassiest girl in the world. She was silly, spunky, creative, unique, and so so full of love for everyone she came in contact with. There is a huge hole in our hearts that she has taken with her back to Heaven."
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The incident was ''absolutely unimaginable'
The incident was absolutely unimaginable. Aria Hill, a 6-year-old girl from Utah, was killed in a freak accident while golfing with her father. The young girl was sitting in a golf cart when a ball hit by her father struck her in the neck, and she died later that night.
Aria's uncle, David Smith, described her as her father's "golfing buddy". He said that she loved golfing and always sat in the cart while her father played. "She loved doing it and had a good time with it all," Smith told the media. "That was one of their things that they would do together. It was something that was really important to them and something they did all the time."
The head golf instructor at the course, Steven Marett, expressed his shock at the tragic incident. "This is absolutely unimaginable, and it’s been devastating to see it at the course and in the community," he said. He added that while people occasionally got hit by golf balls, he had never heard of anyone being killed or seriously injured before.
The Orem Police Department is investigating the incident but believes it was an accident. No charges are expected to be filed. The girl's mother, Talysa, paid tribute to her daughter on a GoFundMe page, describing her as "the sassiest girl in the world" who was "silly, spunky, creative, unique, and so full of love." The page raised over $12,000 to cover funeral and medical costs.
The tragic and unexpected death of a young child in what should have been a fun and harmless activity has left the community reeling. The unimaginable nature of the incident has caused profound shock and sadness, with many struggling to come to terms with what happened.
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Aria's mother paid tribute to her daughter
Six-year-old Aria Hill was accidentally killed by a golf ball hit by her father, Kellen, in July 2019. Aria was sitting in a golf cart when the ball struck her in the neck.
Aria's mother, Talysa, paid tribute to her daughter on a GoFundMe page, writing:
> "Aria was the sassiest girl in the world. She was silly, spunky, creative, unique, and so so full of love for everyone she came in contact with. There is a huge hole in our hearts that she has taken with her back to Heaven."
Aria's uncle, David Smith, described her as his father's "golfing buddy" and said that golfing was something the pair loved to do together. He added that Aria would always be in the cart when the two went golfing.
Steven Marett, the head golf instructor at the course, said that while he had occasionally seen people get hit with balls before, he had never heard of anybody there being killed or even seriously injured. He called the incident "absolutely unimaginable" and said it had been "devastating" for the course and the community.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, in July 2019, a father accidentally killed his 6-year-old daughter, Aria Hill, while golfing in Utah.
Aria was sitting in a golf cart when a ball hit by her father struck her in the base of the neck/head, killing her.
No, the death was ruled an accident. Aria's father did not face any charges.
Aria's mother paid tribute to her daughter on a GoFundMe page set up to cover funeral and medical costs. Aria's uncle, David Smith, said that golfing was something Aria and her father always did together. He called her his ""golfing buddy".
Yes, in June 2025, a father-of-three, Spencer Loalbo, was killed by a bolt of lightning while golfing with his father in Texas.
