COLUMBUS, Ohio – A 4-year-old died after being hit by a pickup truck while trick-or-treating Monday night in Ohio.
Columbus police said around 6:55 p.m., the 4-year-old, who was not identified in a press release, was walking with a woman in her 30s, who was also not identified, in a crosswalk.
Police said the woman and child were both in costume and were walking west across the street while the the crosswalk’s flashing lights were illuminated.
A Ford F-150 pickup truck was headed south, and the driver, a 49-year-old man whom police did not identify, struck the woman and child in the crosswalk.
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The driver stayed at the scene of the crash and cooperated with police. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday and the investigation was ongoing, police said.
The child was taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in critical condition, where the child died at 9:30 p.m. The woman was taken to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in critical condition.
A crash report was not available on Tuesday morning.
The fatal crash came on the same night that a mother was trick-or-treating with in Clayton, North Carolina, with her two children when she was struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run, leaving her hospitalized, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported. A suspect was arrested.
National studies have shown that Halloween increases the risk of a child being struck by a vehicle anywhere from four to eight times.
From 2011 to 2020, more child pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween than on any other day; children are three times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween night than any other day of the year.
Experts recommend crossing at crosswalks only but checking for traffic before doing so. It’s also advised to make eye contact with the driver before crossing.
Drivers can help by being cautious when leaving driveways, alleys and parking lots, experts say.
The Columbus Dispatch
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