Family and friends are grieving loss of an 8-year-old boy struck and killed by a car in a two-vehicle crash on Burnside Avenue in East Hartford that happened Thursday night. Now two drivers are facing charges.
Carlos Hernandez, 8, has died after the crash, the family confirmed.
East Hartford police responded to a two-car crash involving a child near 285 Burnside Avenue at 5:55 p.m. The kid, Hernandez, was transported to Connecticut Children's Medical Center and died there of his injuries.
His family and those who knew him gathered at the crash site to release balloons into the sky and remember him. They described him as a boy who loved school and who was named after his father.
The two drivers, whose names have not been released, are facing motor vehicle violation charges and additional charges are possible depending on the outcome of the investigation.
"They didn't stop and everybody here is concerned about that and we are really, really sad," East Hartford resident Leida Vasquez said.
She said that the young boy's death has shaken the community.
"You know he was just a little kid. He was a little angel," Vasquez said. "We feel close to the family even if we don't know them personally."
East Hartford Mayor Marcia A Leclerc released the following statement about Hernandez's death.
"Last evening was a stark reminder about the frailty of human life," Leclerc said. "Our hearts mourn for the family and friends of Carlos. As a community we grieve with them. This was a tragic loss of an innocent young child, a classmate, a friend, a brother and a son. As a community we have put in place the supportive services within our schools, through our Parks and Recreation Department and our Youth Services to help our community deal with this tragic loss."
Police have not said whether speed was a car in the crash, but Vasquez said that it is a problem in the area and that she hopes this tragedy will be a reminder for drivers to slow down. There is no stop light in the area, she said.
When asked about the names of the drivers involved in the crash and their specific charges, police said," The case is still under investigation. We will have more information when the investigation is complete."
An accident reconstruction team is investigating the crash to piece together what happened.
Police ask anyone with additional information to contact Lt. Ken Rosa at 860-291-7696.
No further information was immediately available.