Toddler killed, backed over by family member while playing on driveway
UPDATE 3/21 6:40 p.m.
We caught up with the family in Von Ormy who is still grief-stricken.
They were too upset to go on camera but did describe the backdrop behind this tragedy, to explain how this could have happened.
Just hours before the accident, the baby's mom, Maria Hernandez-Gomez, was arrested for a charge dating back to 2017.
She was accused back then of making a false report to a police officer up in Hays County.
The family says they have been trying to clear up this charge for several years, claiming the officer incorrectly wrote she lived in San Marcos instead of San Antonio.
Saturday night, her brother came to the house to get information on her arrest.
While he was backing into the driveway, he didn't see the toddler, Itsel Garcia-Hernandez, and accidentally ran over her.
The two-year-old died from her injuries.
According to AAA, back-up deaths are all too common.
At least 50 children become victims in the United States every week.
"Most of these incidents occur with children who are between one and two years old," said Daniel Armbruster with AAA Texas. "So at that age, of course, the child doesn't understand the dangers that surround them. So it's just so important that parents are focused on where the child is, and then also drivers are paying attention to their surroundings."
Little Itsel's family believes if Maria was home, none of this would have happened.
They said Maria did not know about her daughter's death until she bonded out of jail early Saturday morning.
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VON ORMY Texas - A toddler was killed Saturday night when a family member accidentally backed over her while she was outside playing.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner has identified the 2-year-old as Itsel Garcia-Hernandez.
It happened around 10:42 p.m. in the 4000 block of Throne in Von Ormy, which is about 30 miles southwest of San Antonio.
According to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), the 2-year-old child was playing in the front yard of the family's home when a family member backing into the driveway did not see them and ran the child over.
The 18-year-old driver was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident.
The sergeant said, "this was just a very tragic and unfortunate accident."
BCSO said it will complete a full investigation, but the driver is not facing any charges at this time.
