May 19, 2013
A Local 8 Weather Alert has been issued for today. Because of the threat of rain, thunder and even hail, outdoor activities may be disrupted or inconvenienced. What's going on? An upper-level low will be moving across East Tennessee today, creating a more unstable atmosphere.
MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Two families in Maynardville are grieving after a tragic accident claimed the life of a toddler. 2-year-old Allison Ortiz died in her own driveway, backed over by a Ford Explorer.
The driver, Candace Skeen, said it was a "complete freak accident."
She told us she was backing out of the driveway slowly when she felt "something." Then she turned off the car and got out, and saw little Allison on the ground.
"I looked out the door and I saw the ambulances and cops up there," said neighbor Paul Williams. "And they loaded the little girl."
Skeen is devastated. She was driving Ortiz's father Ivan Guzman to work at El Mariachi Restaurant, as she usually does, when the accident happened.
"It can happen awful easy. Snap of your finger," Williams offered.
About 230 people are killed in backover accidents every year. Almost half of them are children under 5.
Williams knows too well how easily accidents can happen. Last year, he said he almost hit a young child standing behind his car.
"If I hadn't looked in the mirror when I did, I would have backed over her. I didn't see her behind my car," he added. A tragedy one family wasn't able to avoid.
THP is investigating. No charges have been filed.
