Toddler fatally struck by truck driven by family member on east side identified
UPDATE: The Marion County Coroner’s Office has identified the toddler fatally struck by a truck driven by a family member Wednesday morning as 1-year-old Michael Giron-Ramirez.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A toddler died after being struck by a truck on the city’s east side Wednesday morning, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Officers responded to a report of an accident with injury shortly before noon Wednesday in the 2600 block of Ebbie Road. That’s off North Franklin Road north of the I-70 overpass.
Police at the scene said a toddler was struck by a black truck driven by a family member. Investigators believe it was an accident.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and our prayers go out to the family of this child,” said Samone Burris, a public information officer with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. “It’s tragic when a child loses their life at any given point in time, but especially when it’s a family member that’s involved.”
The events leading up to the fatal accident are unclear at this time. Police say the people involved are cooperating with officers.
News 8 spoke with a neighbor who doesn’t speak English and allowed a family member to translate what she witnessed.
“She was coming out from taking the trash and she just heard a lot of screaming so she checked to see what was going on and she saw the child under the truck,” said Diego Monter.
The family member was not under arrest, but has been taken into custody to complete the investigation. Police are still trying to figure out if the child was in the driveway or in the street before getting hit.
“We always ask and encourage our community to slow down, especially in residential areas where children are at play and or children may be in the area outside walking, riding bikes, or of that nature,” Burris said. “We encourage you to slow down and be aware of your surroundings. Things can happen in an instance and unfortunately accidents do occur.”
Monter said the toddler was a boy and lived with other siblings.
Other neighbors say they were often seen playing outside and there are many kids who live in the area.
They describe the death as untimely and unreal.
“If we imagined our family or someone who hasn’t really experienced anything just die it would leave a scar. I can only imagine what they’re going through right now,” Monter said.