5-year-old girl hit and killed by SUV while crossing street, Louisiana police say
A 5-year-old girl was hit and killed by an SUV in Louisiana, police said.
The child was crossing Westend Drive in New Iberia just after 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, when she was hit by a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe that was traveling south, according to a news release from Louisiana State Police.
“The front of the Tahoe struck the child in the northbound lane of travel, knocking the child over,” police said.
The girl was airlifted to a hospital, police said, where she later died. Her name has not been released.
The crash is being investigated. State police said they do not suspect “impairment on the part of the driver” but that a “standard toxicology sample was taken for analysis.”
“A majority of pedestrian fatalities, nearly 70 percent, occur at night; however, drivers and pedestrians must always stay vigilant, even during the day,” police said. “Troopers urge pedestrians to maintain a heightened level of awareness while walking near the road.”
They encouraged parents to regularly talk to children about pedestrian safety.
“Simple precautions such as looking in both directions before crossing the roadway, wearing reflective materials, avoiding distractions, not walking too close to roadways, and walking against the flow of traffic could prevent most pedestrian related crashes,” police said.
No additional information about the crash had been released as of Sunday, Oct. 9.
New Iberia is about 70 miles southwest of Baton Rouge.
This story was originally published October 9, 2022 at 2:59 PM with the headline "5-year-old girl hit and killed by SUV while crossing street, Louisiana police say."
