A heartbreaking story out of Tavares, Florida, this week as a young child lost his life after being hit by a truck driven by an allegedly drunk teenager. The incident went down on Monday evening, September 2nd, around 7:15 p.m. The Tavares Police Department got a call about a 2-year-old boy who had been struck by a lifted “bulldogged” truck while riding his tricycle in the Oak Bend neighborhood—a gated community.
Neighbors immediately jumped in to help the little boy, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse. Witnesses at the scene said that the truck was speeding and driving carelessly through the neighborhood, way above the posted limit.
According to reports, the child was playing with his siblings in front of their house while their parents were in the driveway. When the truck came speeding down the street and turned into their road, the parents tried to get the driver’s attention, yelling for him to slow down. It didn’t work. One witness claimed the front tires of the truck completely ran over the boy. The truck allegedly hit the child and his tricycle, dragging them a few feet before finally stopping.
As paramedics worked on the boy, police noticed something off about the driver, 19-year-old Joshua Montero. Officers reported a strong smell of alcohol coming from him. Montero, dressed only in swim trunks and with bloodshot eyes, took a field sobriety test and a Breathalyzer, both showing he was over the limit for someone under 21. His blood alcohol level was recorded at .062 and .057—above the zero-tolerance level for an underage driver. Cops believe his BAC was probably even higher when the accident happened.
Tragically, the 2-year-old didn’t make it and succumbed to his injuries. Montero was arrested and booked into Lake County Jail, now facing a DUI manslaughter charge. He’s being held without bond. The police shared a statement expressing their deep sadness over the loss of such a young life in what they say could have been a totally preventable situation.
