A Maryland mother was left distraught after her two-year-old son was hit and killed by a car after running into the road.
Cody Aguilar Gomez was killed Tuesday in a “horrible and tragic accident,” Annapolis police said.
The boy’s mother, Karla Gomez, had left him on the sidewalk for a moment while she took her other son out of the car when the little boy tried to escape into the street.
Cody was struck by the vehicle shortly before 4 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“My heart is heavy because the reality is that every parent’s worst nightmare has come true for the Gomez family,” Annapolis Police Chief Ed Jackson said.
Cody Aguilar Gomez, 2, was struck and killed by a car in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday
“I can’t imagine the pain they’re feeling right now. Most of us can’t imagine, in the course of a day, that we would lose our two-year-old son.”
He added that the driver of the car did not realize at first that he had hit someone, but contacted the police after learning of the incident.
After consulting with the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, police said there was no criminal intent on the part of the driver.
“We are all deeply saddened by this terrible accident,” Jackson added. “Our hearts are heavy and saddened along with the family.”
In a statement, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley expressed his sadness at the death of ‘this bright young light’ and offered his condolences to the Gomez family.
He also praised the motorist for coming forward and “doing the right thing.”
The boy’s mother, Karla Gomez, had left him on the sidewalk for a moment while she got her other son out of the car when the boy ran away into the street.
Cody was hit by a car shortly before 4 p.m. and pronounced dead at the same time.
Police called the incident a “horrible and tragic accident” after an investigation found there was no criminality on the part of the driver.
In a statement on a GoFundMe For Cody’s funeral expenses, the family paid tribute to the ‘little angel’.
Flowers were left alongside the teddy bears in Cody’s memory, and locals say the community has been left “devastated” by the loss.
“We’re all heartbroken,” one resident told CBS as he fought back tears.