LOUISIANA — A 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by a semi-truck Monday evening while riding his bicycle near Cottondale Drive, the Baton Rouge Police Department reported.
The crash occurred around 7:40 p.m. on Lindale Avenue near the intersection of Cottondale. The coroner’s office identified the boy as Suleiman Hamideh, born in 2018.
Police said the semi-truck had been stopped at Cottondale when the driver leaned out of the window to warn nearby children to stay clear of the roadway. Unaware that Hamideh was behind the vehicle, the driver began moving the truck and struck him with the rear driver’s side tire of the trailer.
Surveillance footage showed Hamideh riding in front of the semi before disappearing on the driver’s side as the truck moved. Authorities noted that because the truck was fully loaded, starting from a stop may have caused shaking that prevented the driver from noticing the impact. The truck was traveling between 7 and 12 mph, and the driver was unaware anyone had been hit.
Initial reports had mistakenly identified the boy as a teenager. The investigation is ongoing.
