Toddler Killed During Pickup Truck Accident in Tampa

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on February 24, 2023

Authorities in Tampa are currently investigating the tragic death of a toddler this week after the young child was run over by a pickup truck near East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard yesterday afternoon.

Early auto accident reports from the responding officers with the Florida Highway Patrol indicate that it was just before 3:30 p.m. on February 23, 2023, when a 2007 Nissan Titan was travelling in the westbound direction of East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Within this vehicle were 5 individuals: two adults in the front seat and three small children in the back. As the family approached North 56th Street and made a right turn onto the road, a 5-year-old unrestrained child opened the truck’s door and fell out of the vehicle.

The toddler’s father immediately realized what had happened and instructed the driver, who is also his cousin, to stop the pickup. He jumped out of the truck to help his child and discovered that the young victim’s legs were pinned underneath the vehicle. The father signaled his cousin to move the pickup and once the 5-year-old was freed, they got back into the truck and headed toward the closest hospital. The family encountered an officer with the Tampa Police Department by the intersection of East 23rd Avenue & North 50th Street and flagged them down to ask for help.

The 5-year-old victim was transported to the hospital but passed away shortly upon arrival due to the severe nature of their injuries.

“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,” said the Florida Highway Patrol in a statement to the media.

No charges have been filed at this time.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website, “children age 5 and under are to be secured properly in a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device.”

Since 1977, Tampa wrongful death lawyer James O. Cunningham has compassionately represented families who have lost a loved one in an auto accident. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.