Florida Highway Patrol: Apopka teen backs SUV in family driveway into toddler; killing her

Trooper: 16-year-old didn't know 2-year-old was behind the vehicle

Toddler death in Apopka, Florida / Headline Surfer / HeadlineSurfer.comAPOPKA -- A toddler was struck and killed Wednesday afternoon by a 16-year-old relative who didn't know she was behind the SUV he backed up in the family driveway in the 300 block of Avalone Drive, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

While backing the 2000 Ford, the boy struck the 2-year-old with the left rear tire, running her over in the process, a trooper reported. the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The victim, Amararis Martinez, was rushed by paramedics to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando where she succumbed to critical head injuries less than an hour after the 3:20 p.m. accident, FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes said.

The teen had backed up the SUV after mowing the lawn so he could clean the driveway not knowing the child had wandered from the side of the house, according to a press release.

Exactly who was responsible for the child wasn't mentioned in the release, though an investigation is ongoing. Headline Surfer is not naming the driver because of his age and the uncertainty over the circumstances.