PALMETTO, Fla. — A 7-year-old boy died at the hospital after an alleged drunk driver drove onto the sidewalk where he and his father were walking and hit him, police said.
Aaron Naylor, a 35-year-old from Parrish, Florida, was arrested on several drug charges and DWI manslaughter, according to a Palmetto Police Department news release. Jail records show he is behind bars on a $500,000 bond.
Officers responded around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday on a report of a crash at 4th Street West and 8th Avenue West. Police say a van, driven by Naylor, left southbound 8th Avenue West, drove onto the sidewalk and hit the boy.
Witnesses told police the father tried to push the child out of the way.
The child was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital and did not survive his injuries. Naylor reportedly suffered minor injuries.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, the department said in a statement.