TAMPA, Fla. — A 10-year-old boy died Thursday night after an adult man he was riding on a motorized scooter with lost control. The boy and adult man fell off the scooter and landed in front of an oncoming car, according to the Tampa Police Department (TPD).
TPD said the child was sitting in front of 37-year-old Yordanis Leyva, when they were turning into the Murphy Express Gas Station along West Hillsborough Avenue near North Himes Avenue shortly before 7 p.m.
After making a wide turn, Leyva lost control and the scooter fell over, which caused both him and the 10-year-old to fall. A driver in another vehicle, who TPD said did not see them in time to stop, ran over them when they landed in front of that driver's car.
Leyva and the boy were both taken to a local hospital, where the 10-year-old was pronounced dead.
TPD said Leyva, who remains hospitalized with serious injuries, was arrested for DUI Manslaughter and driving with a suspended license involving death. Investigators determined he was at fault and intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Arrest reports show Leyva was also arrested for driving under the influence in 2019.
In that instance, officers said he was weaving side to side and stopping in the roadway for no apparent reason.
TPD said the investigation into Thursday's crash is ongoing.
Editor's Note: The story has been updated to reflect that the child was 10 years old and not 7 years old as originally stated.
