A 19-year-old man has been charged with DUI homicide after allegedly running over a 2-year-old boy and dragging him on his tricycle in a gated Florida community as the boy’s family watched in horror, authorities said.
According to details of an affidavit obtained by Click on OrlandoJoshua Montero “appeared to drag the child and the bicycle” several feet before his truck came to a stop.
The tragic incident occurred on Labor Day, when the boy’s parents were in their driveway, watching their children riding their bikes on the street in front of their home. The boy’s mother said she and her husband saw the speeding truck heading toward the cul-de-sac and began yelling at the driver to slow down, according to the affidavit.
Tavares police responded to a call around 7:15 p.m. Monday in the Oak Bend neighborhood after receiving reports that a truck had hit a child. “We are saddened by the loss of this innocent child’s life in something that could have been easily prevented.” Police said in a statement.
Upon arrival, officers detected the odor of alcohol coming from Montero, the owner of the vehicle. According to police, Montero exhibited “several indicators that he was possibly under the influence of alcohol.” The 19-year-old initially refused to submit to field sobriety tests, but after officers warned him that he would be arrested based on his observations, he eventually agreed. A breathalyzer test later confirmed that he was under the influence of alcohol, with breath samples of .062 and .057, which are above the legal limit for someone under 21.
The boy was rushed to AdventHealth Waterman Hospital, but tragically did not survive his injuries. The crash occurred on a “dead-end street where families felt safe to let their children play under supervision,” police said. Witnesses reported Montero’s pickup truck was speeding and driving recklessly through the neighborhood prior to the crash.
In the affidavit, officers further described Montero as a man with bloodshot and glassy eyes, and wearing only a bathing suit. Witnesses also told police that the front wheels of the truck appeared to have completely run over the boy. Montero now faces charges of homicide by driving under the influence for the preventable tragedy that left a community mourning the loss of a young life.