Mom pushing baby in stroller dies after being hit by flatbed dumpster truck in Miami
MIAMI - It was a heart-wrenching scene in Miami where police say a mom who was pushing her eight-month-old baby in a stroller was struck and killed by a flatbed dumpster truck and pinned underneath that vehicle.
"The truck driver, he put his hands in his head as he was just walking in circles," said Juan Camilo Giron, who was on his way to the gym.
The driver of a truck ran over a woman crossing Biscayne Blvd. at 22nd Street on Wednesday. When police arrived, they saw the woman pinned beneath the truck.
"She was pushing a stroller and inside the stroller was a baby boy," said Mike Vega, Public Information Officer for the Miami Police Department.
The mom was identified as 33-year-old Jaklin Sabag. Her 8-month-old boy was rushed to the Ryder Trauma Center.
"You could not see the woman because she was underneath the wheels," said Giron.
Police say they received a call about the accident at 12:40 p.m.
Neighbor Tasha Insua said she was deeply shaken by the scene with the shattered stroller and the woman losing her life.
"It hurts," she said. "It hurts. No family should have to go through this and feel that pain."
She told CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench, "It's sad. It's sad. We don't know if the baby is going to be ok. It's sad. I have a 1-year-old and this pulls at your heart. There is always something going on at this corner."
Vega said, "I am happy to say the baby is going to be ok. He was crying and at the Ryder Trauma Center."
Vega added, "As we were reviewing camera footage we see the truck was at a standstill due to southbound traffic on Biscayne Boulevard. The victim in this case passed in front of the truck and she was not in a pedestrian crosswalk. The truck obviously didn't see her in front and he proceeded to move forward as she was still in front of the truck and unfortunately, he ran over her."
"If you see the truck," said Vega, "You see how high it is and you do not have visibility for him. In this case, the driver remained on the scene and he was very helpful."
Vega said this accident is under investigation and so far no one has been charged or cited.
Coincidentally, this accident happened as Miami Police were conducting an operation and pubic awareness campaign about pedestrian safety.
Vega said "We have pedestrian crosswalks and you are not supposed to cross away from them and accidents such as these can happen to anyone. We have pedestrian crosswalks that are clearly indicated. We have lights at some of these and it is clearly marked where to cross so you have to be attentive."