5-year-old killed on Tampa road after falling out of pickup truck, troopers say
TAMPA, Fla. - A 5-year-old child passed away after falling out of a moving pickup truck on a Tampa road. Troopers said the vehicle ran over the kid's legs, and they died from their injuries.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The driver of a 2007 Nissan Titan was heading west on East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when they made a right turn onto northbound 56th Street.
During the turn, troopers said a 5-year-old child was sitting in the backseat when they opened the rear left door and fell onto the road. Investigators said the child's father was sitting in the front right passenger and alerted the driver, who is his cousin.
When the driver stopped the pickup truck, the vehicle stopped atop the child's legs, investigators said. The driver then navigated the vehicle off the child.
The father grabbed the 5-year-old and re-entered the vehicle, attempting to drive to a nearby hospital when they came upon a Tampa police officer on North 50th Street at the East 23rd Avenue intersection.
Troopers said the family flagged down the officer for help. The child was taken to a hospital, where they died.
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"Two other young children in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and the children of the driver, were restrained in car seats and not injured," according to an FHP release.
There is no word yet on whether any charges are pending. The names of those involved in the deadly accident were not released. The child's name and gender was not specified in the FHP press release.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said the crash involved a 2-year-old. That information was initially provided by FHP, but they have since sent out a correction saying the child was 5 years of age.