Ventura girl, 6, dies in Fourth of July parade accident in North Dakota

Isaiah Murtaugh, Ventura County Star
·2 min read
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Mabel Askay, 6, who just finished kindergarten, died in an accident during an out-of-state Fourth of July parade.
Mabel Askay, 6, who just finished kindergarten, died in an accident during an out-of-state Fourth of July parade.

A 6-year-old Ventura girl died Monday after a Fourth of July parade accident in North Dakota, authorities said.

Mabel Askay, daughter of Juanamaria Elementary School Principal Michael Askay, died just weeks after finishing kindergarten, a Ventura Unified School District spokeswoman said.

The Mandan Police confirmed Tuesday that Mabel died enroute to the North Dakota city's parade. She had been riding on a trailer headed to a parade staging area, according to a news release from the Mandan Police Department.

Mabel fell from the trailer, which had been slated as an entry in the parade, and was "struck by a tire(s) of the trailer," the release says. She was taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Police are still investigating the incident.

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A Facebook post from the Juanamaria's Parent Teacher Association noted Mabel's death and a candlelight vigil for her.

A vigil, originally planned for Tuesday night, was postponed indefinitely when expected attendance outgrew initial plans, Marieanne Quiroz, the district's public information officer said.

"We are dedicated to wrapping our arms around this family, including her brother and sister, Fletcher and Matilda, when they return home,” Quiroz wrote in a statement.

Lynn Bova, Askay's kindergarten teacher, said in a statement that there were "no words" to describe her former student.

“You must imagine the warmth of the sun when she skips into the room," said Bova in a statement. "The joy in her sparkly blue eyes, her kindness as she rescues a lost spider or bug that found its way into our classroom, the silliness of her green tongue after enjoying a popsicle, and the love she shared with everyone she met."

Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura girl dies in Fourth of July parade accident in North Dakota