TAMPA — A 2-year-old boy was struck and killed by a city of Tampa water department truck Thursday night inside an apartment complex near Ybor City.
Tampa police said the driver of the truck was exiting the Tampa Park Apartments west of the Ybor City business district just after 8:30 p.m. on Lilly White Court at a slow speed when the child darted into the road. The driver, who had not been named late Thursday, was unable to stop in time.
Demetrick Lindsey was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. A security guard at the complex attempted CPR on the child while waiting for paramedics to arrive. "The driver is visibly shaken, as is the community," said Tampa police spokeswoman Janelle McGregor.
A man identifying himself as a cousin of Demetric's, Ali Muhammad, 25, told the Tampa Bay Times that the boy was being watched outside by a friend of his mother's. The friend was holding Demetric when he wriggled free and ran into the road. "She had the child in her arms and the child broke loose," Muhammad said. "He was a joyous child. He liked to play and laugh."
Police said only that the child ran into the road. They are still investigating the circumstances.
Investigators also said they did not know whether the driver of the truck was on city business at the time of the accident.
CORRECTION: Demetrick Lindsey was pronounced dead at a Tampa hospital. Earlier versions of this story appearing in print and online included an incorrect name provided by police.