Nicolas Resendiz: Toddler tragically dies as cement truck falls from overpass onto SUV in Houston
HOUSTON, TEXAS: A 22-month-old toddler died after a concrete truck fell from an overpass, crushing the SUV he was traveling in on Friday, August 5.
The toddler, Nicolas Resendiz, was accompanied by his mother, 22-year-old Jennifer, 54-year-old grandmother, and his twin sister. The Harris County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Newsweek that the concrete mixer truck lost control since it was raining and rolled over the side in Woodforest in East Harris County.
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The truck was reportedly heading south on the Beltway 8 East highway when it landed on the family's vehicle, which was going through an intersection. His grandmother was driving, his mother was seated in the front seat while the twins were in the back seat.
Update to crash scene: deceased child is 22-months-old. Media staging area: 14650 Woodforest Blvd, SW corner of Woodforest and Beltway. #HouNews https://t.co/oXx2QYM9qT
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) August 5, 2022
The sheriff's office said that three of the vehicle's passengers were able to get out of the crushed SUV with the help of eyewitnesses. However, Resendiz got stuck, and despite their efforts, the toddler could not be saved.
Speaking about Resendiz's twin sister, witness Raymond Romo told ABC 13, "She was kind of pinned in, and I was reaching back, [but] the front seat was a little hard to get," adding, "I started yanking on the car seat for the baby to get her out and we were actually able to get her out before she was pinned in."
The three survivors were admitted to a hospital, where they received treatment for minor injuries. "We tried to do what we can," said Joe Tijerina, another witness who helped the family. He added, "Everybody had to get together to see if there's anyway we can move the [concrete mixer]. We had an 18-wheeler try to strap a chain to it, to pull it off. We had a big four-by-four dually truck. I mean, it just wasn't budging."
The concrete truck was being driven by an unnamed 36-year-old woman. The woman blamed the wet roads for the truck slipping, before losing control.
Lieutenant Simon Cheng from the sheriff's office, while addressing the local press, confirmed that the truck driver was not under the influence of alcohol. He added that the truck was devoid of any faults which may have resulted in the accident.
An investigation has been initiated with assistance from a crash reconstruction team, the county's Institute of Forensic Sciences, and the county's District Attorney's Office. Cheng said that as of now, there was no cause for charges to be filed.
Meanwhile, the toddler's mother has created a GoFundMe page to help in the funeral arrangements for Resendiz.