TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Highway Patrol is investigating after troopers say a 5-year-old fell out of a moving car and died Thursday evening.
According to FHP, the 5-year-old was riding unrestrained at the time of the incident.
It happened, troopers said, as the driver of a Nissan truck made a right turn from E M.L.K. Jr Blvd. onto N 56th St.
According to troopers, the child opened the truck’s rear left door and fell out of the vehicle. The child’s dad immediately told the driver — his cousin — to stop, but at that point, the truck was on top of the child.
Troopers say the driver drove the car off the child and then went to take the 5-year-old to the hospital. They flagged down a Tampa police officer on N 50th St. who helped get the child to the hospital, where he or she later died.
April Keller, who lives in the area, said she prayed for the child after seeing some of the aftermath.
“There was a whole bunch of commotion. There was like 30 people on the sidewalk. There was like cars that were everywhere — parked everywhere. You know, you could barely walk through," she said. "I’m feeling hurt. I mean, I feel really sad. Like, I could cry right now, but I don’t want to.”
According to troopers, although the 5-year-old was not restrained, two other children inside the truck were in car seats.
Florida law requires seatbelts with very few exceptions. As for children, those four or five years old must ride in a separate carrier, integrated child seat or a booster seat. They can ride using only a seatbelt in just a few scenarios, like emergencies.
A spokesperson for FHP told ABC Action News that any citations are “pending” the agency's investigation.
