Toddler Hit By Car, Dead After Wandering Into Street At 3a.m.

This news absolutely breaks our heart! A 3-year-old was pronounced dead early Thursday morning after the toddler was hit by a car. The toddler was wandering around, in the middle of the street at 3:30 a.m. on Sheldon Road in Town ‘n’ Country area in Tampa, Florida.

The driver who hit the toddler had just gotten off of work and was driving home when he realized he hit something. That's when he turned his vehicle around and realized he hit a small child. This new is heartbreaking for the family and the driver. Police said there were no signs of impairment or wrongdoing on the driver’s part. Deputies were looking around and finally found a door wide open at Valencia apartments. When police arrived the parents were inside frantically looking for their child and that's when they found out their toddler was hit by a car and died.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Amanda Grannit said, “You can imagine the heartbreak and the nightmare that these parents realized that they were living in.” During the press conference Grannit also mentioned she has a 3-year-old and how heartbreaking this news is for everyone including the community. Investigators are currently trying to figure out how the toddler escaped the apartment and eventually got into the roadway. So far, there are no charges against the driver or the parents.

This entire situation is absolutely terrible. However, it is a good reminder to always child proof your house if you have small children. Sometimes people will child proof the entire house except for the front door. In this situation, the parents were asleep and had no idea that their 3-year-old got out of the bedroom and left their home. You can easily buy child proof door handles at any big box store or even order them online so everyone stays safe inside your home.

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Work on the Howard Frankland Bridge won't be done for another couple years, but these newest photos taken from high in the sky by the Florida Department of Transportation really show the progress being made.

Here are the latest stats from FDOT for late June 2023:

- 90% of pilings have been driven.
- 82% bridge footings have been installed.
- 81% bridge columns are completed.
- 69% of bridge caps have been installed.
- 34% of bridge beams have been placed.
- 30% bridge decks have been placed.

Once the new bridge is built and all traffic is moved to the final alignment, the existing northbound/eastbound (St. Petersburg to Tampa) bridge will be removed. Work is expected to be completed in late 2025.