Lake County crash leaves 10-year-old boy dead

A 10-year-old Lake County, Florida, boy is dead after being struck by a car that swerved to avoid a fallen tree. The serious car accident occurred after his father hit a tree in an attempt to avoid a separate fallen tree blocking both lanes. He instructed his son to stand on the other side of the road as he called for assistance.

Police report that another vehicle then approached the accident scene from around a curve and swerved when the fallen tree blocking the roadway came into view. The car struck the boy as it veered to the right, causing him to sustain catastrophic injuries.

A representative for the Florida Highway Patrol explained that the father placed his son in what appeared to be a safe place. She said that his actions were appropriate given the situation. The crash that killed the boy is under investigation. The pavement around the crash site was wet from recent thunderstorms, which may have made it difficult for the driver to steer.

The father and a friend he had called performed CPR on the child until emergency rescue staff arrived, at which time he was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Family friends expressed their grief upon hearing of the accident, with one man saying that he could not breathe or stand up when he learned the boy had died. The boy had served as a local school's ball boy and was well-loved for his enthusiastic cheering. Several of the team's players placed a cross with the boy's name near the site of the accident in his memory.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, "Lake County boy struck by car, killed," Arelis R. Hernandez, Sept. 28, 2011