LAKE CHARLES, La. — A 4-year-old riding his scooter in a Louisiana neighborhood died when he was struck by a mail truck on Thursday, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a neighborhood in Lake Charles at about 5:30 p.m. CST.
The boy had been riding his scooter in his neighbor’s driveway when a U.S. Postal Service truck drove to the end of the street and used the same driveway to turn around, Kayla Vincent, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told KPLC-TV.
The boy was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries, according to the television station.
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“This is a heartbreaking and tragic situation for everyone involved,” Sheriff Tony Mancuso said in a statement. “Impairment is not suspected, but as mandated by state law a toxicology report will be conducted on the driver.”
The child’s name has not been released by authorities.
“The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of life of a child yesterday in Lake Charles,” a spokesperson for USPS said in a statement to McClatchy News.