A four-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Brooklyn on Thursday morning, just minutes after leaving a hospital with his mother, in a tragedy that comes barely a year after the family lost another son to gun violence.
Police said the incident occurred around 11:09 am near the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Rockaway Parkway. The child, identified as Zachariah Padilla, had just exited Brookdale Hospital with his mother when the accident happened.
According to officials, Zachariah ran into the street and was struck by a white Ford SUV travelling north. The driver did not stop and fled the scene, leaving the injured child on the roadway.
Mother recounts desperate moments
Zachariah’s mother, Harmonie Wright, said the pair had gone to the hospital to collect paperwork, including immunisation records, required for the boy’s school.
“We were going back home and now I’m hurt. Not only did he hit my son… he ran him over,” Wright said, describing the moments after the crash. She said she tried to alert the driver and banged on the vehicle before being struck herself.
The injured boy was rushed back to the same hospital he had just left.
Doctors performed chest compressions for nearly 30 minutes in an attempt to save his life, but he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
“He said, ‘Mother, God has a lot of children… I’m an angel,’” Wright recalled tearfully, speaking about her son.
Second devastating loss for the family
The tragedy is the second devastating loss for Wright. Her eldest son, Elijah Wright, 21, was shot dead last year after being struck five times in a shooting.
Still grieving that loss, the mother said she now faces the pain of burying another child.
“My house sounds silent. There is no noise,” she said. “Why God keeps taking my children? Why don’t he take me?”
Wright said Zachariah will be buried in white because “he’s an angel”.
Police launch hunt for driver
Authorities said Zachariah suffered severe trauma and was transported to One Brooklyn Health–Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Police are now searching for the driver of the white Ford SUV involved in the crash. Investigations into the hit-and-run remain ongoing.
Despite the overwhelming grief, Wright vowed to seek justice for her son.
“His name is Zachariah Padilla and we are going to fight and we are going to win,” she said.
