A 3-year-old boy died over then weekend when he was accidentally run over and dragged by a vehicle.
According to the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, at 4 p.m., deputies were dispatched to a home in the Garrison area on reports of a child being run over. Family members said the accident happened on private property, and the parents of the child had headed to a hospital with the boy in their vehicle.
A deputy was able to find the family’s vehicle on Highway 59. The vehicle pulled over and a woman stepped out with the boy in her arms. The deputy could not find a pulse when he checked the child and immediately began CPR.
The deputy conducted CPR on the child for nine minutes on the side of the road until EMS arrived. EMS continued CPR and took the child to a Nacogdoches hospital where the child was later pronounced dead.
The victim was identified as Romeo Tejeda Castro, who would have turned four in May.
Investigators determined the family gathering was at a home off Highway 59 in the city of Garrison. Several kids and parents were at the location and were about to start an Easter egg hunt.
A family member was headed to a store in their SUV to get more supplies when the accident took place. When the car was cranked, the child was near the right front tire and could not be seen. The vehicle began to turn around in the driveway and the boy was dragged about 60 feet down the driveway.
The Sheriff’s Office stated the tragic accident will forever impact the community and said their prayers and thoughts are with the family.
The Garrison Police Department and the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office are conducting an ongoing investigation into the accident.
(Information from MyEastTex.com)