Whenever a motor vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the potential for serious personal injuries is very high. People on foot lack the armored protection a vehicle provides, and their bodies absorb the force of the impact with devastating results. When a car strikes a child, the results are tragic.
Sadly, a 6-year-old boy was hit by a black pickup truck in the street outside of his house near the intersection of Rensselaer Street and 10th Street in Troy. As a result of the Monday evening accident, the boy suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. The driver of the black pickup apparently sped off, but several witnesses recognized the driver as a 21-year-old man from the neighborhood. Some of the witnesses shouted at the driver to stop. Some even threw bottles at his truck, but he left the scene of the accident.
Police conducted a search for the driver. But as of Tuesday morning, they had only found the black pickup truck. New York State and federal authorities have contacted Troy police to aid in the search for the driver, who they believe is still hiding in the area.
Now, a makeshift memorial of stuffed animals and flowers marks the scene of the horrific accident that claimed the life of a 6-year-old boy who had dreams of becoming a scientist. Many people in the neighborhood are helping police search for the driver of the pickup truck, and others would like to see a change in traffic control for the area. Neighbors are collecting signatures on a petition for a stop sign at the intersection of Rensselaer and 10th and signs warning drivers that children are present in the area.
Source: Albany Times Union, “Troy neighborhood heartbroken, angered after boy killed,” Bryan Fitzgerald, 6/1/2011
