The driver of a truck left a roadway in Des Moines today, hitting a trampoline and killing one child and injuring another. It happened just after noon on the capital city’s northwest side.
Des Moines Police Sergeant Jason Halifax says the driver of the truck rear-ended an SUV before leaving the road. “(The truck) went through an open field, crashed through a privacy fence and collided with a trampoline — on which were 6-year-old boy and a 4-year-old boy playing,” Halifax said.
The truck kept going, pushing the trampoline through the yard before crashing into a drainage ditch. The 6-year-old boy was killed.
“The 4-year-old boy, remarkably, was almost unharmed from the incident,” Halifax said. “He was pulled from the netting and was taken by his mother to the hospital. He was believed to be in good condition.” Witnesses told police the truck was traveling at a fairly high rate of speed and did not appear to brake or try and stop.
The driver of the truck, a 44-year-old man, was taken to the Des Moines Police station for an interview. It’s unclear if alcohol or some type of medical issue may’ve been a factor in the incident, according to Halifax.