West Park toddler dies after SUV hits him in driveway
A 19-month-old West Park boy died after his mother struck him with a white SUV in the driveway, renewing concern over deadly blind-zone risks.
Broward Sheriff’s Office released new details Tuesday on a West Park driveway crash that killed 19-month-old Wilson Matias Jr. after his mother pulled a white SUV from the home on Allen Road. The case remains under investigation, but detectives say it appears accidental, a split-second tragedy that shows how quickly a child can move into a vehicle’s blind zone.
Deputies identified the driver as 33-year-old Ericka Cante Hernandez, Wilson’s mother. They said she was pulling out of the driveway in a white 2024 Chevrolet Suburban at a home in the 100 block of Allen Road just after 2 p.m. Monday, July 6, 2026, when Wilson ran out of the house and was struck. Paramedics rushed the child to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he died from his injuries. Family members called him Junior, and a GoFundMe page was created to help with funeral and memorial expenses.
The loss was visible on the block Tuesday morning. West Park Mayor Felicia M. Brunson visited the family at the home, and neighbors described the household as warm and family-oriented. A red mailbox sign near the driveway read, “Drive like your kids live here,” while the boy’s lilac Crocs were still visible near the scene, a small but stark reminder of how little time elapsed between the child running out and the SUV moving forward.
The West Park death also landed during a grim stretch for Broward County children. WSVN said it was the third toddler death in the county in about a week, following separate hot-car deaths in Plantation and Hallandale Beach. The incidents were different, but each involved a vehicle and a child who had little or no margin for error.
National safety data show how persistent the risk remains. NHTSA says about 37 children die each year in the United States from heatstroke after being left or trapped in vehicles. Kids and Car Safety says at least 1,172 children have died in hot cars since 1990. In Broward, the Allen Road crash underscores how driveway supervision, large-SUV sightlines and a momentary lapse can combine with fatal consequences in seconds.
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