Pa. boy killed when mom swerves to miss deer
LOWER BURRELL, Pa. — A 6-year-old boy died in a crash after his mom says she swerved to miss a deer but hit a tree instead, reports CBS station KDKA in Pittsburgh.
The accident happened in Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County, around 8 a.m. Thursday.
Isaac Thomas, 6, suffered serious head injuries and died at Allegheny Valley Hospital about an hour later, according to police.
“That’s a scary thing to see a car flipping,” said Darlene Dicaprio.
She was driving in front of the SUV that crashed and looked back in her rearview mirror to see the vehicle flip over.
The boy’s mother told police she swerved to miss a deer on Spooky Hollow Road, but wound up hitting a tree. Her SUV flipped and slid into another tree, according to police.
Dicaprio says she was impressed with a neighbor who rushed to get the unconscious boy out of the wreckage.
“He went and pulled Isaac out of the car. He covered him. They had a towel, and I took a blanket down,” said Dicaprio. “He held him and told him to just hang on till the paramedics got there and rocked him and talked him through until the paramedics did get there. He was very, very good with him.”
Isaac’s dad, David Thomas, put a picture of his son on Facebook and wrote: “My son did not make it.”
He also posted: “My life is one big nightmare. Don’t know how I’m gonna do the rest of my life without you, Isaac. I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this.”
The boy’s mother was treated and released from the hospital.
Dicaprio says she spent 20 years in healthcare but never saw anything like the crash.
“Six-years-old, still had a life to go. Guess now he’s up with the angels,” said Dicaprio.
Isaac was a student in the Burrell School District. The superintendent released a statement saying the district has a sad and heavy heart over his death.