The incident occurred in San José on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 21
Credit: ABC7 News Bay Area
NEED TO KNOW
- An 18-month-old boy has reportedly died after being hit by a minivan operating as a privately-owned taxi in California
- The incident occurred in the Canoas Garden neighborhood of San José on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 21, police said
- Officials said that the driver of the minivan “remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation”
A toddler has reportedly died after being hit by a taxi in California.
On Wednesday, April 22, the San José Police Department (SJPD) confirmed in a release that officers had "responded to the 2100 Block of Canoas Garden to investigate a traffic collision involving a pedestrian" at around 4:23 p.m. local time on Tuesday, April 21.
“A 2021 grey Toyota minivan, occupied by an adult male driver, was traveling northbound in the driveway of an apartment complex when it struck a young male juvenile pedestrian who was walking in the parking area,” the release stated.
The child was 18 months old, according to ABC7 News Bay Area and KTVU FOX 2. The minivan that hit the victim had been operating as a privately-owned taxi, per ABC7 News Bay Area.
Credit: Sundry Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
“The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased,” the SJPD said in the release.
Police added that the driver of the minivan “remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation.”
The incident reportedly occurred in the parking area of a condo complex, per ABC7 News Bay Area.
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The police release stated, "Alcohol and drugs were not believed to be a factor in the collision."
“This incident marks the city's 16th fatal collision and 16th traffic-related death of 2026. This is also the 7th pedestrian death of 2026,” the SJPD added.
Speaking about the incident, a neighbor told ABC7 News Bay Area, "It's a very big, huge loss. It's an 18-month-old baby and it's a baby boy. And I pray to God the family can recover from this incident.”
A second neighbor added, "I just cannot imagine the pain that they must be going through after the loss. So huge, the loss of a baby that didn't have the chance to live,” per the outlet.
"This is a really raw case. Someone just lost a loved one. While our detectives conduct a thorough investigation to figure out the motives and circumstances, I know a lot of people have questions. We do too,” Stacie Shih, a senior public information representative for the SJPD, said in a statement to ABC7 News Bay Area.
“This is a tragedy no one wanted to imagine happening, and we're trying to get the same answers as well,” Shih added, per the outlet.
Anybody with information has been advised to contact the San José Police Department's Traffic Investigations Unit.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office and the SJPD for comment, but didn't immediately hear back.
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