HOUSTON– A 1-year-old girl died after she was struck by an Uber driver who had just dropped her family off at their Houston apartment complex and apparently didn’t see her in front of his car as he drove away, authorities said.
Harris County sheriff’s officials said the girl’s relatives then pulled the driver from his car and assaulted him Sunday.
“It’s just an unfortunate tragedy at this point,” said Lt. K. Benoit of the sheriff’s office.
The driver thought his path was clear after dropping off the girl and her family, but as he drove forward he struck the girl and dragged her for a while, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
Surveillance footage shows the girl walking alone in front of the car, just before she was hit.
“We as parents, family members and caregivers of children just have to be much more alert, hold their hand, guide them to a safe place and then watch the driver drive away,” Benoit said.
Gonzalez said the driver was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
No charges have been filed and the case remains under investigation, authorities said.