An 11-year-old boy tragically died after a scooter mishap in Wildwood.
The boy died after his new electric scooter crashed into a parked truck shortly before 4 p.m. Friday near his home in the 9700 block of Pepper Tree Place, according to a report from the Wildwood Police Department. The truck was described as a 2018 Dodge Ram flatbed work truck. The person who had been operating the truck was in the backyard of a residence and heard a “yell for help.” The worker ran to the roadway and found the injured boy. Together they were able to call the boy’s mother, who immediately called for emergency help.
A police officer arrived on the scene and held the boy’s hand. The boy passed out and woke up again several times and complained he couldn’t breathe.
Sumter County EMS personnel quickly determined the boy needed to be urgently airlifted for treatment. However, the boy went into cardiac arrest and the EMS personnel began lifesaving medical care. They opted to take the boy to the UF Health Emergency Room Clinic at Brownwood. The ambulance was escorted there by police squad cars with lights and sirens activated.
The Brownwood ER crew was able to restore the boy’s pulse, but recommended that he be helicoptered to Shands Pediatric Hospital in Gainesville for emergency surgery. At about 6 p.m., the helicopter arrived to take the boy to Shands Hospital. The boy died at the hospital.