Off-duty Georgia firefighter's toddler son dies in shopping center crash – CBS News

Off-duty Georgia firefighter’s toddler son dies in shopping center crash  CBS News

A 22-month-old boy has died after a vehicle drove over a curb and struck him while his father, an off-duty Gainesville firefighter, was carrying him at Limestone Marketplace, police said.Knox Skelton was airlifted to a children's hospital in Atlanta after Wednesday's crash but died from his injuries, according to Gainesville Police Department Capt. Kevin Holbrook.Police said Knox's father, Samuel Skelton, was holding him when the vehicle left the roadway and hit them.The driver, 68-year-old Teresa Parker, was attempting to park a 2024 Ford Edge in a parking space reserved for people with disabilities when she inadvertently accelerated over the curb, striking Samuel and Knox, police said.The crash remains under investigation.

The police update did not provide information about Samuel Skelton's condition."The Gainesville Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the Skelton family, their loved ones, and the Gainesville Fire Department during this incredibly difficult time," the department said.Part of the Big Peach Running Co. storefront was damaged in the crash. The owner said its Gainesville store would be closed Thursday, while its other locations maintained normal hours."As we open today in most of our locations, we grieve with a family and a community," the company's owner and founder said in a statement. A 22-month-old boy has died after a vehicle drove over a curb and struck him while his father,