A 22-month-old boy died Wednesday after a driver trying to park her car jumped the curb and struck him and his off-duty firefighter father at the Limestone Marketplace shopping center in Gainesville, Georgia, police said.
Gainesville firefighter Samuel Skelton was holding his son, Knox Skelton, when 68-year-old Teresa Parker, attempting to pull her 2024 Ford Edge into a handicap space, “inadvertently accelerated” over the curb and hit them both, according to the Gainesville Police Department.
“Samuel was there, holding his 22-month-old son, Knox. Had his back to everything, didn’t even know what was coming, didn’t see what was coming,” Gainesville Police Capt. Kevin Holbrook said, according to Atlanta First News.
Knox was airlifted to a children’s hospital in Atlanta, where he died from his injuries. Samuel suffered only minor injuries and did not need medical treatment, police said.
Knox was weeks away from his second birthday. A fundraiser set up for Samuel and his wife, Kiana Skelton, described the couple’s loss as “heart-wrenching.”
An obituary for the boy said he never went anywhere without his monster trucks, loved the park, and especially loved “swinging on the swings on his daddy’s off days.”
“He ran the fire station like he owned the place and loved driving the fire truck just like his daddy. He preferred cookies and snacks over eating an actual meal,” the obituary said.
The Gainesville Fire Department asked the community to support the Skeltons as they grieve.
“Samuel and Kiana Skelton are two of the most humble, caring, and genuine people you could ever meet. Our department is heartbroken by this tragedy, and we ask that our community surround the Skelton family with love, prayers, and support as they navigate this incredibly difficult time.”
The department added that first responders train for tragedy but that nothing prepares them “for when tragedy strikes one of your own.”
Parker stayed at the scene and has not been charged. Police continue to investigate the crash.
“This was just a tragic accident, altogether. You had an elderly female who did not intentionally do this,” Holbrook said.
