Toddler killed in horror crash after chasing family dog into busy road

A toddler has tragically died after he chased his family onto a busy road where he was struck by two vehicles on Wednesday night.

The devastating incident happened when the young boy, aged one-years-old, left his family home in on North Halifax Avenue in Daytona Beach, South after the dog escaped the family home. Police rushed to the scene at around 8.21pm on Wednesday, April 23 where they found the young boy with severe .

The unidentified one-year-old boy was rushed to Halifax , where doctors pronounced him dead an hour later. Bill Rhodes, the director of operations for the Daytona Beach Police Department confirmed further details about the tragic incident at a news conference on Thursday,

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Rhodes confirmed the boy was struck by a 2003 Honda CR-V which sent the toddler into the southbound lanes of the busy avenue, where he was then struck by a 2012 Chevy Silverado. He referred to the incident as a 'traumatic and chaotic scene'. Officers do not believe the speed of any vehicles involved was a factor in the young boy's death - and are still considering whether to bring charges against anyone in the case,

A statement on the police force's : "On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at approximately 8:21 p.m., officers with the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to the 2900 block of N. Halifax Avenue in reference to a motor vehicle accident involving a child pedestrian Upon arriving, officers located the child, who had sustained severe injuries after being struck by a vehicle.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the child had exited their residence, following the family dog, which had escaped. While following the dog, the child entered oncoming traffic and was struck by a vehicle, followed by a second vehicle. The child was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel This remains an active and ongoing investigation. At this time, there are no additional details to provide."

It comes just days after after a four-year-old girl was . Emergency services rushed to the property where officers found two people unresponsive and attempted to save their lives. The child, identified by police as Evelynn Lopez, was rushed to a nearby , where she was sadly pronounced dead. The older woman, who police identified as Oliva Mora Regalado, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

The investigation revealed that there were six pitbulls and one poodle mix inside the residence at the time of thee tragic incident. For the safety of everyone involved and the preservation of evidence, all were sedated and then euthanised on scene.