A child died after being struck by a vehicle in the driveway of a Colorado Springs home while family members were moving vehicles there on Saturday, October 3. The child's father rushed the child to a hospital, where the child was later pronounced dead from the injuries.
The crash happened in the 800 block of South El Paso Street near East Fountain Boulevard, according to FOX21 News, which reported the incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. as people in the household were repositioning vehicles in the driveway. One of the children in the group moved behind a vehicle and was run over, the station reported. KRDO, citing Colorado Springs police, reported the time as 6:38 p.m. that same evening.
The driver remained at the scene after the crash, and the family cooperated with investigators, the station's report noted. As of the most recent updates, no charges had been filed, though KRDO reported that the Colorado Springs Police Department's Major Crash Team was continuing to investigate and could determine whether charges should be brought. The Colorado Springs Gazette also confirmed that police are investigating the death of a child struck while family members moved vehicles in the driveway.
A Pattern Playing Out Beyond Colorado Springs
The Colorado Springs case is one of several recent driveway or parking lot deaths involving children and vehicles reported around the country. FOX21 News reported that four children died in separate incidents nationwide, including the one in Colorado Springs, over a single weekend. A data manager with Kids and Car Safety, Chloe Burke, told the station the recent incidents happened over a weekend, on either a Saturday or Sunday.
Burke pointed to vehicle blind zones as a recurring factor in these crashes, noting that small children can easily be hidden from a driver's view in those areas, the station's report said. Recommended precautions included direct supervision of children near moving vehicles, giving kids clear instructions to stop or stay out of the way when a car is in motion, and having drivers double-check mirrors and backup cameras before moving a vehicle, according to the same report.
A similar tragedy unfolded less than two weeks earlier in Southern California, near Temecula, where a father backing a Tesla Cybertruck out of the family's driveway accidentally struck and killed his 6-year-old son at around 9 p.m. on a Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times. A California Highway Patrol officer said the evidence available at the time pointed to an accident rather than foul play, and the newspaper reported that investigators were still reviewing video from the Cybertruck as part of the ongoing inquiry.
What Comes Next
In Colorado Springs, the Major Crash Team's investigation remains open, and it is not yet known whether any charges will ultimately be filed in connection with the child's death. Neither the identity of the driver nor further details about the vehicle involved have been released in the reporting so far.
