A Florida toddler has died after being struck and run over by a car in a Walmart parking lot.
Three-year-old Jaxson was returning to the family car at a Walmart in Englewood on Tuesday night when he wandered in front of a Jeep parked beside them and stood there as his mother buckled his infant brother into their vehicle, according to Fox 4 News.
A 27-year-old woman behind the wheel of the Jeep began to inch forward and make a right turn, unaware that Jaxson was standing right in front of the car.
He was run over moments later and left in critical condition, prompting Charlotte County and Englewood Fire, EMS and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to race to the scene.
The toddler was immediately airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries.
Jaxson’s grandfather described him as a ‘happy boy who was really starting to come into his own’ and is now one of many family members grappling with the sudden loss.
His grandfather, who had dreamed of teaching Jaxson to fish on one of his many trips, told Fox4 he is heartbroken by the reality that now, that will never happen.
The toddler also was said to have had a passion for sports – playing catch, tossing a football and proudly rooting for his father at softball games.
Jaxson (pictured), 3, of Florida, died after being struck and run over by a car in a Walmart parking lot on Tuesday night
The toddler was returning to the family car at a Walmart in Englewood when he wandered in front of a Jeep parked beside them and stood there as his mother buckled his infant brother into their vehicle (all three pictured)
A 27-year-old woman driving the Jeep began to inch forward and turn right, striking Jaxson (family pictured) and leaving him in critical condition. He was airlifted to a hospital but did not survive
Though the fatal crash is still being investigated, Jaxson’s grandfather admitted he feels no anger toward the unidentified driver, calling it simply a tragic accident.
‘I feel sorry for her, it’s not her fault,’ he told the outlet. ‘I feel bad for her, too. No ill will towards her.’
It comes just weeks after Utah saw a similar tragedy when a two-year-old girl died after being struck and run over at the Broughs Mobile Trailer Park in Provo.
On October 28, two-year-old Claudia Isela Sandoval and her six-year-old brother Ezequiel stood beside their father, Jorge, on the side of the road as he worked on a bike.
Moments later, 28-year-old Nereyda Miranda drove her GMC Yukon SUV past them at speed, striking the two children, according to Fox 13 News.
Claudia was killed in the collision, an event her family described as ‘every parent’s worst nightmare.’
Police later revealed that Miranda was driving with trash bags on her car’s windshield and ‘appeared to have not seen’ the children.
‘He doesn’t know why the lady didn’t look out,’ Kathleen Vaca Zepeda, Claudia’s aunt who was translating for the girl’s father, told the outlet. ‘Why she had bags on her car.’
Jaxson’s (pictured) grandfather, who had dreamed of teaching him to fish on one of his many trips, said he is heartbroken by the reality that it will never happen
Just last month, Utah saw a similar tragedy when a two-year-old girl died after being struck and run over at the Broughs Mobile Trailer Park in Provo (pictured)
Two-year-old Claudia Isela Sandoval (pictured) and her six-year-old brother Ezequiel were near their father repairing a bike on October 28 when they were hit by a car with trash bags on the hood blocking the driver’s view
While Miranda stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities, family members rushed the children to Utah Valley Hospital.
Miranda was charged with manslaughter after being arrested on October 28, police said.
Jail records showed that she was born in Guatemala and had been placed on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold.
Ezequiel fortunately made it through the accident but sustained injuries to his foot and has since faced an extended recovery.
Video footage captured from a neighbor’s home showed that Ezequiel had escaped the full brunt of the car crash but was still hit.
Daily Mail has reached out to both Walmart and the FHP for comment.
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