7-year-old killed by van while on sidewalk with dad, Palmetto police say. Driver faces DWI.
A 7-year-old boy was hit and killed by a van while walking on the sidewalk with his father in Palmetto on Wednesday evening, the Palmetto Police Department said Thursday.
They were walking on 4th Street West and 8th Avenue West at about 6:45 p.m. when the driver of a Ford van traveling south on 8th Avenue West drove onto the sidewalk, hitting him, police said in a news release..
Witnesses told police the father tried to push the boy out of the way.
The 7-year-old was rushed to Tampa General Hospital via air ambulance, but later died from his injuries, the release said.
The driver of the van was 35-year-old Aaron Naylor from Parrish, police said.
He was transported to a Memorial Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
After an investigation, Palmetto police arrested Naylor on DWI Manslaughter and several drug charges.
Naylor is booked in the Manatee County jail with a $500,000 bond.
The crash investigation is ongoing, Palmetto police said.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 1:30 PM.
