11-year-old with ‘great sense of humor’ hit and killed by car in Louisiana, cops say
A community is mourning an 11-year-old Louisiana boy hit and killed by a car.
“He always had a smile on his face and a great sense of humor,” teachers at Fairview Elementary School said of Daniel Antúnez. “The pictures tell the story.”
The accident happened at about 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in Lake Charles, according to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said the driver of a small SUV struck the 11-year-old near Claude Hebert Road.
He died at the scene, deputies said. It’s not clear if he was walking in the travel lane at the time.
A friend of the family said Daniel was walking to a store with his mother when he was hit, KPLC reported. The family is originally from Honduras, the friend told the station, adding that a language barrier has made the investigation difficult.
Daniel’s mom “is asking if the woman who crashed the kid is arrested because they haven’t told them nothing,” the friend said, according to KPLC. “They destroyed the world for her. He was the only kid she had.”
A tribute posted on the school’s Facebook page showed photos of the boy smiling, laughing and learning alongside his classmates. Teachers also included the last photo Daniel took with his recess soccer team.
“They formed the letter D as a tribute,” his teachers wrote, ending the post with a broken heart emoji.
No arrests have been made as of Friday, Dec. 9, deputies said. The driver underwent a toxicology test, although authorities said they don’t suspect impairment.
Calcasieu Parish is about 130 miles west of Baton Rouge.
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