MESA, Ariz. — A 7-year-old girl has died after being hit by a vehicle in Mesa, according to authorities. Although police initially believed the crash was a hit-and-run, that has since been rescinded.
"Investigators have learned that this is not a hit and run. After locating video of the incident, they were able to determine the vehicle and driver were still on scene," the Mesa Police Department said on Friday.
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Police said the incident happened Thursday at 6:15 p.m. near Broadway and Horne.
The little girl was riding her scooter in the driveway of one of the housing complexes in the area when police said a car hit the child and killed her.
Investigators learned from security footage that a man in an F-150 truck had turned into the complex's driveway against the sun, striking the girl in the process before parking around the back of the building.
"When the driver walked to the front of the building, he noticed a little girl and her scooter lying in the driveway with injuries. The driver immediately called 911, unaware of what happened to her," police said.
Police initially believed the incident to be a hit-and-run crash, but redacted that as they learned more.
A spokesperson for the Mesa Police Department said detectives relied heavily on home security cameras to learn what happened in the incident.
"The driver was not impaired and speed was not a factor in this case. This is believed to be a very tragic accident with no charges filed against the driver," police said.
12News spoke with a neighbor, who asked not to be identified, who was heartbroken by this tragic incident.
"It was the worst thing," the neighbor said. "No parent should ever have to go through this in their life."
The neighbor said many people in the complex were still in shock after the death of the little girl.
"She would always sit right here and playing with her dolls or she would always be on her scooter playing with the neighborhood kids," the neighbor said.
12News also spoke with the driver of the pickup truck, who did not want to go on camera. He says he is heartbroken and did not know he hit the little girl until after he parked his truck, came to the stairwell and saw her laying on the ground. He also said he did not know until Friday afternoon that the child had died.
Neighbors say anyone who wants to pay tribute to the little girl can come to the complex near 3rd Avenue and Horne Drive.
The child's name has not been released.
This is a developing story; additional details will be added as they become available.
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