ARCADIA, Fla. — A community is mourning the loss of a 12-year-old Arcadia boy hit and killed by a truck. Florida Highway Patrol says he was one of three people hit Saturday afternoon.
It happened at the intersection of Pine Street and DeSoto Avenue. Troopers say the boy, a 2-year-old girl in a stroller and a 34-year-old woman were hit in a crosswalk. Nearby was another driver who saw the entire thing happen.
"It was terrible, it was horrible," said Daemon Woods, who was behind the driver accused of hitting the three people. "I seen a mother and her kids coming up the sidewalk and they came up here to the cross area and she hit the button."
Woods says the driver, who FHP says was a 37-year-old man, revved his engine and turned left. Though not confirmed by FHP, Woods says the man cut off another car going straight as the 37-year-old turned left.
"He ran them over," Woods said. "When the truck went to hit her, she pushed the stroller ahead. Pushed the stroller ahead. That mom intuition."
He yelled at the driver and said he hit someone. According to Woods, the man told him he didn't know he hit anyone. Woods rushed over to help the 2-year-old girl.
"Picked her up, put her in my car. Ran to the little boy," Woods said. "Tried to hold him as much as I can and pat his back and console him as much as I could."
As of Sunday, the woman is in critical condition and the toddler is okay.
Woods says he hopes a tragedy like this will help drivers become more aware of their surroundings to avoid another life being lost.
"It was horrible, it was just horrible," he said. "Pay attention. We have all these signs. They're not up there for no reason. We have plenty of signs, pay attention."
We reached out to the school district to see if counselors will be at the child's school for students and staff. We have not heard back.
FHP says the crash is under investigation and as of Sunday night, DeSoto County jail records show no one has been arrested for the crash.
