Fairfax County police are continuing to investigate a crash that killed a 3-year-old boy in a Chantilly mobile home community this weekend.
Based on a preliminary review, however, Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives don’t believe speed or alcohol were factors in the Saturday (Nov. 16) incident, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release published today (Monday).
Officers were called to the Meadows of Chantilly in the 14500 block of Trans World Avenue around 3:48 p.m. after the boy was hit by a truck driver while he was riding a tricycle. The child was riding in a private driveway but entered the roadway when the truck approached.
“Subsequently, the driver of a 2012 Ford F-450 struck the child at a low rate of speed,” the FCPD said.
The boy was declared dead at the scene, where the driver remained as police investigated.
As a minor, the child hasn’t been publicly named by the police, but other news outlets have identified him as Hugo Diaz Nolasco. His family had moved to Virginia from Honduras just four months ago “in search of a better life,” WUSA9 reported earlier today.
According to WUSA9, the family alleged that the truck driver had been speeding on Airline Parkway when the crash occurred, though the FCPD’s initial findings dispute that perception.
Tributes of candles, flowers and teddy bears accumulated in the middle of Trans World Avenue ahead of a memorial service organized by the community yesterday (Sunday), according to DC News Now.
An online fundraiser to help the family with funeral costs and other expenses has been set up on GoFundMe, raising over $5,000 toward its $20,000 goal, as of press time.
“FCPD’s Chaplain Unit and additional officers will continue to provide support and an increased presence in the affected community,” the police department said. “Victim specialists from our Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure the victim’s family is receiving appropriate resources and assistance.”
