5-year-old boy run over by out-of-control car on Daytona Beach: What we know
On Sunday, a horrifying event unfolded when a car crashed through an empty toll booth, burst onto Daytona Beach and surged into the ocean, running over a 5-year-old boy.
Hugo Alamos of Nashville, Tennessee, was in the water with his son David when he heard a loud boom "like a bomb" and then, as people on the beach rushed to get out of the way, saw the boy vanish under the car in the waves.
'Like a bomb': Father recounts horror of car running over boy in ocean at Florida beach that allows driving
When it happened: Officials: 4 injured, including child, when car crashes into Daytona ISB beach approach
Here's what you need to know about the crash.
Where was the crash on Daytona Beach?
The driver of the car, Christian Rivera Rosado, 28, of Springfield, Massachusetts, apparently had a seizure and lost control of his Nissan Altima, according to a report from Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue. The car smashed through the empty toll booth at the International Speedway Boulevard beach approach in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Who was injured in the Sunday beach crash?
David Alamos, 5, from Nashville, Tennessee.
What were the injuries in the Daytona crash?
The boy suffered two open cuts, according to his father Hugo Alamos, "one in the right arm and one on the chest."
No injuries were reported for anyone in the car, although officials said they were taken to the hospital for treatment. Several other people suffered minor cuts and scratches, authorities said Sunday.
From 2010: 'Free range pedestrians': Beach-driving stats reveal safety clues
How many people were in the car that crashed into the ocean?
Four. Rivera Rosado's wife, Yashira De Jesus Guzman, was in the front passenger seat, and two girls — 10 and 13 — were in the back seat of the car, when it crashed onto the beach, the report said.
How is the child who was hit by the car?
While rescue workers initially said the boy was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, he was released from Halifax Health Medical Center later Sunday. "They (medical personnel) closed the open wounds that he had but he is still very frightened," Alamos said. "He is doing much better."
Previous accidents on Volusia beaches involving children:
2016: 1 family haunted by Volusia beach crash; another still dealing with loss
2014: Toddler struck by Jeep reopens debate about driving on beach
2010: Tragic death of 4-year-old renews beach driving debate
Why did the driver hit the toll booth and crash into the ocean?
The driver, Rivera Rosado, may have had a seizure, according to the official report, He was also transported to Halifax Health Medical Center. Rosado, who said he didn't remember the incident, was cited with careless driving, the report states. The crash remains under investigation.
According to one unidentified witness to the scene, the driver told the rest of the people in the car before the crash that he was going to have a seizure. They thought he was joking at first, the woman said, and were then aware he was unconscious and unable to drive as the car continued to move.
Has anyone ever been killed by a car on Volusia beaches or in Daytona?
Yes. In 2014, a 45-year-old North Carolina woman and her family were walking on the beach when a motorist crashed his car through the locked gate at the Dunlawton Avenue beach approach in Daytona Beach Shores and hit a tollbooth before plowing into them.
The other members of her family, including her children, were able to get out of the way but she was hit and killed, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said.
Prior to that, the last vehicle-related deaths on Volusia's beaches were in 2010, when toddlers Ellie Bland and Aiden Patrick, both 4, were killed in separate accidents.
C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiple newsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to your local news organization. Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach car drives into ocean, over small boy: What we know
