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2-year-old boy hit and killed as dad backs out of parking lot, Louisiana cops say

Elian Maradiaga, 2, was hit and killed by a pickup truck in a parking lot in Metairie, Louisiana, police said.
Elian Maradiaga, 2, was hit and killed by a pickup truck in a parking lot in Metairie, Louisiana, police said. Screengrab from GoFundMe.com

A toddler died after he was run over by his father’s pickup truck in the parking lot of a Louisiana apartment complex, deputies told news outlets.

The boy’s father was backing out of a parking spot in Metairie on Oct. 18 and hit the 2-year-old, who unknowingly wandered into the parking lot as his dad left for work, WVUE reported, citing the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The boy, identified by the coroner’s office as Elian Maradiaga, died at the scene, according to The Times-Picayune.

“It was a horrible, tragic, unbelievable situation,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto told the newspaper. “The parents are devastated.”

Deputies said they don’t believe impairment was a factor, though the investigation is ongoing, WWL-TV reported.

McClatchy News reached out to the sheriff’s office for an update Friday, Oct. 27, but hasn’t heard back.

Metairie is less than 10 miles northwest of downtown New Orleans.

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This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 9:52 AM with the headline "2-year-old boy hit and killed as dad backs out of parking lot, Louisiana cops say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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