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 Jose’s twin sister Keyla, were transported to the hospital in “critical but stable condition”
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 “investigating a major accident in the 200 block of south Marsalis Avenue.”
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 “critical but stable condition.” The adult was transported in “stable condition.”
The boy who died is 9-year-old Jose Garcia Ledesma, according to WFAA-TV, which cited the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Shead added that the driver involved in the incident stopped after the incident, and it “does not appear” that there was “speeding involved.
Jose’s 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 “little angel,” her “greatest love” and her “everything.” The family has also started fundraising for funeral costs on CarsonsVillage.org.
On the website, the family wrote: “A student at Felix Botello Elementary, Jose found happiness in the simple things—playing 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. Jose’s memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.”
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 Jose’s death as “very sad” to the outlet, and called for changes to be made to make the area safer.
“It’s not so much the kids. It’s the cars,” said Rocha of the traffic on South Marsalis Avenue. “They get off the freeway and they go. Or they’re about to get on the freeway and they go fast. We don’t have any speed bumps. We have one crossing guard. But we do need some change.”