NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — There was a new push Monday to stop people from driving on Volusia County beaches after a 4-year-old boy ran in front of a truck and was hit and killed on New Smyrna Beach.
AT THE SCENE: Boy Run Over At Beach VIDEO REPORT: Child Hit By Truck CAST YOUR VOTE: Ban Driving On Local Beaches?
The deadly accident that happened Sunday afternoon has some wondering if it's worth the risk. The 4-year-old's death is the second child hit and killed on a beach in Volusia County just this year.
Crime scene investigators put down evidence markers on the beach near the area where 4-year-old Aiden Patrick was hit. Investigators said 33-year-old Donovan Sias of New Smyrna Beach was driving a Dodge Ram truck on the beach and ran over 4-year-old Aiden Patrick when the child ran into the path of the oncoming truck.
"It was very panicked, um, the parents were trying to comfort the child," one eyewitness told WFTV.
Eyewitnesses said the boy was running toward the water when he was hit. Several witnesses rushed to help and one even tried to perform CPR. Emergency responders rushed Patrick to Bert Fish Medical Center where he died.
It's the fourth accident on Volusia county beaches this year.
In March, a girl from Nottingham, England, was hit by a car on Daytona Beach (read report). Ellie-Louise Bland, 4, died after the collision. In another incident, a woman was crushed as a man tried to park his car in April (read report). And, in June, a woman was run over by a Beach Patrol officer (read report).
Earlier this month, WFTV reported that Volusia County Commissioner Carl Peris has a plan to change traffic patterns on the beach. If his plan is approved, it would mean only one-way traffic on the beaches. So far, that plan has received little support.
"Something needs to happen to get this under control," a beachgoer told WFTV.
WFTV learned that the issue may come up at the Volusia County Commission meeting planned for Thursday.
Previous Stories: July 18, 2010: 4-Year-Old Hit And Killed By Truck On New Smyrna Beach June 11, 2010: Woman Run Over By Beach Patrol Speaks Out June 10, 2010: Woman Run Over By Beach Patrol Vehicle April 3, 2010: Car Hits Woman Relaxing On Beach March 22, 2010: Car Hits, Kills 4-Year-Old On Daytona Beach
WFTV
