Ahead of deadliest car crash day for children in the U.S., Colorado family of teen killed in Halloween crash urges safe driving

"Drive safely in memory of Wyatt Reed Lobato," a sign on Chambers road in Aurora reads, it remembers the 15-year-old boy killed while trick-or-treating last Halloween. One year later, his family is urging drivers to take extra care, ahead of the deadliest day of the year for child pedestrians.

Halloween is the deadliest night of the year for children, but not because of ghosts or monsters, guys with knives, nor poisonous or drug-laced candy.

More children are struck and killed by motorists on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

"We're urging drivers to keep an eye out for pedestrians all weekend long, slow down in neighborhoods, and avoid distractions and impairment behind the wheel to help keep everyone safe," said Megan Cooper, a spokeswoman for AAA.

Now, one Colorado mother, whose son was killed last Halloween wants drivers to take caution while on the road this year.

Natalie Hernandez spoke to CBS News Colorado Sunday, a day before the one-year anniversary of her son, Wyatt Lobato's, death. Wyatt was struck by a car on Halloween in Aurora last year and died. He was 15.

That night, Wyatt set out to trick-or-treat with three costumes in his backpack. He and some friends stopped at an Aurora 7/11 to grab some snacks. Just after 6 p.m., as Wyatt left the 7/11 and entered a crosswalk at Chambers Road and Hampton Avenue, he was hit by a car. The driver, who stayed at the scene, said she didn't see him.

"It was just so sudden," Hernandez said. "It just changed everything."

Hernandez didn't know how serious it was until the hospital called and said she needs to get there right away to "make decisions," she said, struggling to hold back tears. "He fought."

Hernandez described Wyatt as humble, social, an active kid, participating in team sports, as well as going hunting and fishing. "Just a good kid."

He was a sophomore at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora.

"We were as close as humanly possible," says Wyatt's older brother Vaughan Lobato. "My whole body just shut down."

Wyatt became an organ donor in May of that year when he got his driving learner's permit, said Hernandez, the memory of which caused her to cry.

His decision would go on to help about 80 people in need of organ transplants. She said she was so proud of her son.

Now, Hernandez is using her voice to plead with drivers on the road to exercise caution, because it could be their kid trick-or-treating that becomes a victim.

"When things like this happen, families like our family, we'll never receive the closure we deserve," she said. "You don't get that extra time to say your goodbyes. The grief is a thousand times more intense because you carry all the 'what ifs' and 'what if I could've done something different?' … it's just incredibly important for people to take the time to just slow down, not be on your phone, be aware of your peripherals."

With the number of people out walking, especially children, on Halloween, Hernandez said she "hopes that another family doesn't have to experience a loss like we had to."

Overall, July 4 and New Year's Eve are considered the deadliest days of the year in the U.S., due to drunk drivers. But a new tool from the U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that for pedestrians under the age of 18, Halloween is the deadliest day of the year by a large margin.

The following two charts show the same data, but for different spans of time, due to how the data was collected by federal traffic safety agencies. The first one shows child pedestrian fatalities from 1990 through 2010, while the second one shows 2006 through 2020, the most recent publicly available data.

The following chart shows the same data, but from 2006 through 2020. You can mouse over any given day to see the total number of fatalities for that date in this timespan.

From 2006 to 2020, 52 children were fatally struck by cars on Halloween nationwide, according to data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the database maintained by those agencies. The next deadliest dates for child pedestrians in the same timespan were Sept. 30, with 31; Oct. 10, with 30; July 4, with 28; and Oct. 25, with 28.

Compared to other states, Colorado ranks considerably low. On Halloween, there were no fatal traffic crashes against child pedestrians from 2006 to 2020. In 2021, there was one that CBS News Colorado was aware of.

Overall, the number of child pedestrian fatalities, and deadly car crashes in general, have gone down dramatically since the 1970s.

The NHTSA offers tips for drivers and trick-or-treaters alike this Halloween.

Safety Tips for Drivers:

• Be alert for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Slow down and continue to scan the road in areas where they are likely to be or where sight distances are limited.

• On Halloween there will likely be more pedestrians on the roads and in places where they are not expected. Slower speeds save lives.

• Stay alert for pedestrians who may come out from between parked cars or behind shrubbery. Stop, wait for them to pass.

• Don't look at your phone when you're driving. Your attention needs to always be on the road.

• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact law enforcement.

Safety Tips for Pedestrians:

• Walk on a sidewalk if one is available and use crosswalks. 

• Before the Halloween festivities begin, create a "buddy system" to get each other home safely and prevent walking alone.

Hernandez plans to take her younger kids, who are 7 and 9 years old, trick-or-treating, and be in a large group with other friends.

She described a mix of emotions with Halloween approaching, since it now represents the day she lost one of her sons, but also wants to let her other kids celebrate the holiday, have fun and be kids.

"We're going to try to keep as safe as possible also, by remembering Wyatt and doing the things that he loved, including trick-or-treating," she said. "Just make the day a better day than it turned out last year."

A candlelight vigil to remember Wyatt will take place 6 p.m. Sunday at the site of the crash, the Mission Viejo Library, 15324 East Hampden Circle in Aurora.