Florida Highway Patrol says the 2-year-old stepped into Hilltop Farms Drive late Friday morning and was struck.
DADE CITY, Fla. — A 2-year-old boy died after he ran into the path of a pickup truck late Friday morning on Hilltop Farms Drive near Pindos Drive, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The child was flown to a hospital, where he later died.
The crash has drawn scrutiny to a quiet residential loop southeast of downtown Dade City, where neighbors said they heard screams just after 11 a.m. Troopers said the boy was walking along the road’s outside shoulder with his father around 11:20 a.m. when he darted into the northbound lane and was hit by a truck driven by a 20-year-old Dade City man. The passenger, an 18-year-old Wesley Chapel woman, was not hurt. FHP’s traffic homicide investigators were called to the scene and are reviewing evidence and statements gathered Friday.
Witnesses told reporters the scene unfolded quickly. “I came out and there’s blood on the street, blood on a sheet, people crying,” neighbor Mark Keene said, describing several frantic minutes before first responders arrived. Another nearby resident, Awilda Marrero, said she was in her backyard with her dog when she heard screaming and called 911. Troopers said the father and child had been walking on the shoulder moments before the boy stepped off the edge of the pavement. The child was airlifted by medical helicopter and later pronounced dead at an area hospital. The driver and passenger remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, troopers said.
Florida Highway Patrol did not release the names of the child, the father or the driver, a common practice under state privacy provisions. Troopers did not immediately say how fast the truck was going in the posted zone or whether impairment or distraction might be factors. No citations or charges were announced Friday. FHP said the pickup sustained front-end damage consistent with the impact. Paramedics treated the child on scene before the helicopter transport. The father was not reported injured. Neighbors described Hilltop Farms Drive as a neighborhood road where drivers cut through to nearby subdivisions but said heavy traffic is unusual around late morning.
Records show the crash occurred at about 11:20 a.m. Friday on Hilltop Farms Drive south of Pindos Drive in Pasco County. The road serves a cluster of homes with short driveways and limited sidewalks, according to residents. Similar pedestrian crashes involving young children are rare in the immediate area, but Pasco County has grappled with growth around Dade City that has pressed more vehicles onto local streets. The Highway Patrol routinely investigates fatal crashes with its traffic homicide unit, documenting skid marks, roadway conditions, sight lines and any video from doorbell or neighborhood cameras. Those findings typically determine whether a case is referred to prosecutors.
Investigators said the initial phase will include measuring the scene and interviewing the driver, the father and witnesses. Troopers also will examine the truck’s condition and retrieve any available vehicle data. Standard toxicology tests can be requested in fatal crashes, though FHP did not say whether they were ordered here. No court filings had been listed by Monday morning, and officials did not set a timetable for conclusions. If troopers find probable cause for a traffic offense or a crime, they can issue a citation or send the case to the state attorney’s office. Absent new findings, the case remains an open crash investigation.
On Sunday and Monday, neighbors left small stuffed animals and flowers near a utility pole off the curve of Hilltop Farms Drive. “Everyone here knows that family,” Keene said, adding that residents checked on the father as deputies and troopers documented the scene. Marrero said she has lived nearby for years and had never seen that many patrol cars on the block at once. A woman walking a dog paused to watch a tow truck haul the damaged pickup away as children waited for afternoon rides from nearby homes. The neighborhood was quiet by dusk, with a faint rotor wash lingering in the air from the earlier medical helicopter landing.
As of Monday evening, FHP said its investigation was ongoing and no further updates were available. Officials said any determinations on speed, impairment or potential charges would come after evidence reviews. The next expected milestone is a preliminary crash report update later this week.
Author note: Last updated November 11, 2025.