EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A 14-year-old boy was struck and killed by an SUV while running across U.S. 54 South on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 23, according to the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).
At around 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday, officers responded to a crash involving a pedestrian at U.S. 54 between Fred Wilson and Spur 601.
The Special Traffic Investigations unit took over the investigation, which revealed that 14-year-old Joseph Nathaniel Caraballo was seen running west across the northbound lanes of U.S. 54 and crossed the center barrier, according to EPPD.
Caraballo then ran north along the southbound lanes, where he ran into the path of an SUV, which was traveling south on U.S. 54.
The driver of the SUV attempted to avoid the crash, but was unable to do so, and Caraballo was struck in the roadway, according to EPPD.
Multiple passersby began to render aid until Caraballo was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The main contributing factor in the crash is a pedestrian on the freeway. This is the 44th traffic fatality compared to 49 the previous year, according to EPPD.
In addition, the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) identified Caraballo as one of its students.
“The El Paso ISD family is in mourning, and we have counseling and support services available for our students and staff.
“We are working closely with El Paso PD, who are the investigative authority on the incident. We request that everyone be respectful of the family and those impacted and please keep them in your prayers,” read a statement by EPISD.
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