'It's heart-wrenching': 1-year-old boy hit, killed by car in Dallas backyard

DALLAS, N.C. — A 1-year-old boy died Sunday morning after he was hit by a car in a Dallas backyard, police said.

The accident happened just before 9 a.m. at a home on West Trade Street, near downtown Dallas and across the street from First Presbyterian Church and Dallas Baptist Church.

Several agencies responded to the house, including the Dallas Rescue Squad, Dallas Police and Gaston Emergency Medical Services.

Assistant Chief Earl Withers with the Dallas Rescue Squad said both of the boy's parents were at the house and several children were in the backyard when another adult tried to move a car parked in the area.

Withers described it as a "tragic accident." He said it appeared the child had been struck and then run over by the car.

"The driver saw where some of the children were, but he just missed that young child," Withers told the Gaston Gazette. "The child got in a blind spot. It's very unfortunate."

Paramedics moved the boy to an ambulance and started performing CPR on him as they rushed him to CaroMont Regional Medical Center, but he later died at the hospital.

“It’s a very traumatic incident to arrive on something like that, especially when it involves a child," Withers said. "It's heart-wrenching. When we were on scene prior to leaving, the mother and father left to go to the hospital and they appeared to be very distraught.”

The community said it is asking for prayers as the family copes with the unimaginable loss.

"Other kids were there, so you have to worry about their wellbeing and how they're going to handle the situation," Dallas Alderwoman Stacey Malker said. "It's a hard time for our community today. They will all need support and the town of Dallas will be there for them."

No other information has been released.

Cox Media Group