JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 12-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car Friday morning on Lane Avenue in the Hyde Park area of Jacksonville’s Westside.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the boy and his younger brother were walking on the sidewalk toward a bus stop on Lane Avenue South on the west side of the roadway when, according to a witness, an unknown dog started chasing the boys.
The brother stopped, but the 12-year-old continued running trying to get away from the dog and ran onto the roadway toward oncoming traffic, JSO said.
A Chevrolet Cruz was driving southbound on Lane Avenue South and struck the 12-year-old. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) responded and took the boy to a local hospital, where he died.
“The little boy who did not make it, his backpack was left on Lane Avenue,” said neighbor Alisa Marrero.
Home surveillance video obtained by News4JAX showed the moments leading up to the boy being hit.
The video showed the dog, possibly a beagle, running loose on Miss Muffet Lane North.
The dog walked up to a person who was walking in the area and then ran around for a few seconds before the brothers walked up the sidewalk.
The boys then run away when they see the dog and shortly after the dog starts chasing them, the video showed. A few seconds later, the impact from the crash is heard. About six minutes later first responders arrived.
Marrero said she spoke with the driver and tried to confront the younger brother.
“She was crying and pleading to me ‘I didn’t see him, I didn’t see him, I didn’t mean to hit him,’” Marrero said. “The little brother I was speaking to said his big brother was scared of dogs and he just ran away from the dog and wasn’t looking.”
Marrero said drivers don’t have to speed for a tragedy like this to happen.
“Something needs to be done for it being 40 miles per hour. I think it should be a school zone,” she said.
Marrero said she’d never seen the dog before and said she could only imagine how the victim’s family is feeling.
The City of Jacksonville sent animal control to the area to search for strays matching the description.
The death marks the 126th traffic fatality in Duval County this year.
Traffic Homicide detectives along with the staff from the Medical Examiner’s Office are on-scene conducting the investigation. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is cooperating with law enforcement.
“Please keep the victim and his family in your thoughts and prayers,” JSO said.
A neighbor with no connection to the family came to the area Friday afternoon and dropped off a memorial at the nearby stop sign.
