A 4-year-old boy was struck and killed in a hit-and-run in Hyde Park Tuesday night.
“On a warm, summer day, this is just a horrible tragedy that has taken place,” Mayor Michelle Wu, her voice clearly wavering with the weight of the moment, said during a press conference at the scene at around 11:40 p.m. “We urge everyone just to be vigilant, whether you are driving, whether you’re out and about, of how much can change in just a split second.”
There were not many details available as police canvassed the area of the intersection of Wood Avenue and Tacoma Street in Hyde Park, searching for any possible witnesses or security footage that could provide investigators a clue for who is responsible, but Boston Police Superintendent Gregory Long did provide the basics at the scene.
He said the child was in the area of 165 Wood Ave. at around 9:30 p.m. “when the suspect motor vehicle struck him, did not stop, and fled the area.”
An off-duty Boston firefighter ran to the boy’s body and did all he could to render first aid before Boston EMS arrived and then transported him to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Long noted that “clearly efforts were taken” in the neighborhood to prevent such a horrific event, with one nearby sign reading “Act like your child lives here.”
“Obviously this is an extremely tragic situation this evening and our thoughts and prayers go to this child, this child’s family and this community that unfortunately had experienced this traumatic event,” Long said.
He and Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden urged anyone with any information to contact Boston homicide detectives at 617-343-4470 or to provide anonymous information to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line by calling 1-800-494-TIPS (8477).
“We are here tonight with very heavy hearts. A family has suffered a terrible loss with a boy so young,” Hayden said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them and this community and we just beseech this entire community’s help. Our efforts will be for this family and with this community as we attempt to find out who’s responsible for this tragic, tragic accident.”
Wu thanked off-duty firefighter and the other first responders for their efforts and added that the city sends “our condolences to the family and all of the community members and the people who loved this little boy. It’s absolutely devastating about what transpired in just a split second.”