A pickup driver struck a family of three in a Tampa crosswalk on Tuesday, killing a 6-year-old girl and injuring her mother and 10-year-old brother, deputies said.
The mother was walking her children to school about 7:35 a.m. when they tried to cross Sheldon Road at Mohr Road, said Hillsborough County Undersheriff Thomas St. John. The family was in a crosswalk and had the walk signal when a 77-year-old man driving a Dodge pickup east on Mohr tried to turn south onto Sheldon, “failed to realize” the family was in the crosswalk and hit them, St. John said.
Deputies responded about four minutes later and provided first aid until paramedics arrived. The 6-year-old girl died at the scene. Her mother, 45, and brother were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa to be treated for injuries that included broken bones, St. John said.
The pickup driver was also taken to St. Joseph’s for medical evaluation. The sheriff’s office has not released his name. St. John said he will be cited for violating the right of way resulting in death, which is punishable by an automatic 6-month driver’s license suspension and up to a $1,000 fine.
St. John said the driver did not appear to be distracted at the time of the crash and that speed does not appear to be a factor.
This is a developing story. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.