19-year-old man allegedly ran over and killed a toddler while driving drunk in a gated community

TAVARES, Fla. (TMX) – A 19-year-old Florida man faces a DUI manslaughter charge after allegedly running over a toddler on a tricycle and dragging her under his truck on Monday, police said.

Tavares police said officers were called to the gated community in Oak Bend around 7:15 p.m. Monday after a report that a 2-year-old had been run over by a “raised truck with a bulldozer attachment.”

When officers arrived, several neighbors performed life-saving measures until the boy was taken to AdventHealth Waterman Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

According to police, the driver of the truck, 19-year-old Joshua Montero, “exhibited several signs that indicated he may have been under the influence of alcohol.”

Montero is said to have failed both a sobriety test and a breathalyzer test.

While Montero was being taken to the Lake County Jail, police learned that the boy had died from his injuries. Montero was subsequently charged with DUI manslaughter.

According to an affidavit obtained by ClickOrlando, the children were riding their bikes through the cul-de-sac while the boy's mother and her husband stood guard in their driveway. When she saw the speeding truck, she and her husband began yelling at the driver to slow down, but he continued to speed toward the cul-de-sac.

“The Oak Bend neighborhood is a gated, guard-protected community and an active, young neighborhood. The street where this occurred was a short cul-de-sac where families felt safe to have their children play under their supervision,” police said.

Police said they were investigating witness statements that Montero was “speeding and driving carelessly.”

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of this innocent boy's life, which could have easily been prevented. Our agency would like to thank the neighbors who immediately jumped into action to save the little boy's life,” police added. “Please keep the family in mind and pray for them. And please slow down and do not drink if you drive.”

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