Florida driver accused of slamming into mom walking 2 kids to school, killing 6-year-old: ‘Terrible tragedy'
Child killed HCSO press conference
Hillsborough County Undersheriff Thomas St. John gives an update on a deadly crash that claimed the life of a 6-year-old girl and injured her mother and 10-year-old brother.
TAMPA, Fla. - A 6-year-old girl is dead and her mother and 10-year-old brother are in the hospital after being hit by a vehicle in Tampa on Tuesday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
What we know:
Hillsborough County Undersheriff Thomas St. John said a 45-year-old mother was walking her two children to school and as she crossed Sheldon Road in a crosswalk, a driver turning from Mohr Road onto Sheldon Road struck the trio.
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"They were properly in the crosswalk," St. John explained. "They had the signal to cross the road. The driver did have a green light, but as drivers, it’s important and imperative for us to pay attention. Pedestrians always have the right of way."
Dig deeper:
He added that the driver was a 77-year-old man in a Dodge pickup truck.
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The driver did have a green light. However, HCSO said he was cited for violation of right-of-way involving a death, according to St. John.
That citation comes with a $1,000 fine and a 6-month suspension of his license.
What they're saying:
"On behalf of Sheriff Chronister, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that tragedies like these today can be avoided," St. John stated. "We continue to encourage our drivers to be safe. Put down your phones, stop texting, pay attention to the road in front of you, especially at these busier times of the day, both rush hour in the morning and afternoon and in areas where there are families crossing in crosswalks, walking their children to school. It’s so important. We could avoid these tragedies if we paid attention."
St. John noted that the area where the crash occurred is not a school crossing zone and there is no crossing guard. However, HCSO says the family was using a pedestrian crosswalk to cross Sheldon Road from Mohr Road.
He added that speed was not a factor in the crash.
"It’s a terrible tragedy that this family is going to have to live with forever," St. John shared. "Our hearts go out to the family. This is unimaginable."
The mother and 10-year-old son were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital with injuries, including broken bones.
The 77-year-old driver was also taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital for a medical evaluation.
What's next:
The deadly crash is still under investigation.
The Source: This article was written with information provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and presented by Hillsborough County Undersheriff Thomas St. John during a press conference on Tuesday morning.