A tragic incident occurred in Tavares on Labor Day when a 2-year-old boy riding a tricycle was fatally struck by a vehicle operated by a 19-year-old driver, who now faces charges of DUI manslaughter. ClickOrlando reported that Joshua Aidan Montero was arrested after the accident that unfolded around 7:18 p.m. when nearby neighbors witnessed the speeding Toyota Tacoma strike the young child.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, witnessing parents were in their driveway, their children amusingly whizzing around on bikes when unexpectedly, a speeding truck charged into their peace, silencing it with a devastating cacophony and despite the parents' cries for the truck to slow down, it continued, resulting in the collision with their toddler son on his blue tricycle. In the aftermath, a 911 caller described Montero, who remained on the scene, while a neighbor administered CPR to the injured child.
Upon the officers' arrival, Montero was sans clothing except for swim trunks and emitted a strong odor of alcohol as they interacted with him on the sidewalk, an assertion supported by his behavior marked by bloodshot, glassy eyes - a condition verified further post-arrest at the Lake County Jail. He submitted to a breath sample, yielding results of .062 and .057 which, considering the underage status of Montero, were above the permissible limit, with the additional implication by police that his blood alcohol concentration had likely been higher at the time of the crash.
Despite the valiant efforts of neighbors and first responders to save him, the child succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. The police have updated the charges against the driver to DUI manslaughter, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando.
