Another Texas child, the twinsā neighbor, was also injured in the May 22 incident in Dallas
- An adult and three children were hit by a pickup truck near Felix Botello Elementary School in Dallas, according to police
- Police said 9-year-old Jose Garcia Ledesma died
- Two other children, including Joseās twin sister Keyla, were transported to the hospital in ācritical but stable conditionā
A boy is dead and two other children are injured after being struck by a vehicle outside a Texas elementary school, according to officials.
Dallas Police Department Assistant Chief Catrina Shead said in a press conference, shared by WFAA-TV, that the three children and an adult were struck by a pickup truck near Felix Botello Elementary School in Dallas.
She said police responded to the incident at around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22. Police shared on X at the time that it was āinvestigating a major accident in the 200 block of south Marsalis Avenue.ā
Shead said that the adult and three children who had been hit by the car on the scene were transported to nearby hospitals by Dallas Fire Rescue. One of the children died from the injuries sustained in the incident and the two other kids were in ācritical but stable condition.ā The adult was transported in āstable condition.ā
The boy who died is 9-year-old Jose Garcia Ledesma, according to WFAA-TV, which cited the Dallas County Medical Examinerās Office.
The Dallas County Medical Examinerās Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEās request for comment.
Shead added that the driver involved in the incident stopped after the incident, and it ādoes not appearā that there was āspeeding involved.ā
Joseās mother Deyaneira Ledesma told KXAS-TV that she had been walking with her twins, Jose and Keyla, and another student back to their apartment complex across from the elementary school when they were struck by a car. She told the outlet that she had looked both ways before crossing but had not been at a crosswalk.
Deyaneira told KXAS-TV that her daughter Keyla suffered a broken leg and hip. In a translated post from the outlet, she described her son as her ālittle angel,ā her āgreatest loveā and her āeverything.ā The family has also started fundraising for funeral costs on CarsonsVillage.org.
On the website, the family wrote: āA student at Felix Botello Elementary, Jose found happiness in the simple thingsāplaying soccer, splashing in water, and dancing. Known for his vibrant personality, he will be remembered as an energetic dancer who always brought a smile to those around him. Joseās memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.ā
A vigil was held for Jose on Friday, May 23, at Felix Botello Elementary School, according to WFAA-TV. One of the parents at the school, Cynthia Rocha, described Joseās death as āvery sadā to the outlet, and called for changes to be made to make the area safer.
āItās not so much the kids. Itās the cars,ā said Rocha of the traffic on South Marsalis Avenue. āThey get off the freeway and they go. Or theyāre about to get on the freeway and they go fast. We donāt have any speed bumps. We have one crossing guard. But we do need some change.ā