Child hit and killed in North Austin fatal crash

A five-year-old boy is dead after being hit by a car while running across a street in North Austin. It happened around 2:00 P.M. Friday afternoon in the 7900 block of Gault St, where it intersects with West Anderson.

"The child had just been picked up from school by (his) mother. They had just returned home when they parked on the (west)side of Gault St. The mother got out of the car, the child ran across the street where he was struck by a van," Cpl. Chad Martinka, with the Austin Police Department, said.

APD said the driver of the van did not know he had struck a child.

"He never saw the child. He knew he hit something and had no idea," Martinka said.

More than a dozen police officers and first responders were on the scene, including the APD Crisis Team, who was there to help assist the family.

"(They were there) talking with both parents and just explaining the process and explaining the grief and going through that natural process," Martinka said.

That grief has spread throughout the neighborhood. Anthony Mancabelli lives just a few houses down.

"It's pretty bad for all of us I would think just losing a life in general, especially a  five-year-old child like that. You know but yeah, it's heartbreaking for everybody," he said.

"The Austin Police Department is still investigating the details of what happened leading up to the crash but one thing they are certain of, although this is a tragic accident, this is a lesson that parent's around austin can learn from.

"Whenever anyone crosses a street and you're not crossing at an intersection then you are losing that right of way. You need to make sure, one if you're going to cross not at an intersection, that you do stop and look both ways. Something with parents, they need to make sure their kids, that they keep their kids next to them. Don't let your child run out and away from you," Martinka said.

APD said the driver of the van is not facing charges at this time but the investigation is ongoing.