A six-year-old boy has died after being struck and killed in a car crash while riding his bicycle in a quiet San Diego neighbourhood, a case that has left a family devastated.
Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin was hit on Saturday as he crossed an alley on Pacific Beach Drive, just west of Ingraham Street, according to authorities. Police say the child was knocked off his bike by a vehicle as he entered the alley.
What followed was especially harrowing. The driver stopped briefly, paused for several seconds, then suddenly accelerated. As the car sped forward, it ran over the young boy before fleeing the scene, San Diego police said via the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Hudson was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries.
Within hours of the crash, police located a vehicle believed to have been involved in National City.
The suspected driver, identified as 32-year-old Tiffany Sanchez, was arrested for alleged vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run. Officers said alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing.
In a heartbreaking tribute shared on Facebook, Hudson’s mother, Juliana Kapovich, described her son as fearless and full of life.
She wrote that he was 'confident, fearless' and had 'full of zest for life' adding that while his mind was always racing, 'his curiosity taught all of us to slow down.'