A toddler was struck by an SUV and killed over the weekend in a Braselton neighborhood.
Braselton's Assistant Police Chief Lou Solis said the little boy and his family were from Michigan, and they were visiting in the Falls of Braselton subdivision when the accident occurred Saturday afternoon. Solis said the driver of the vehicle had stopped in front of his own house to chat with the child's father for a few minutes.
"They finished talking and the guy was going to drive away and he says 'hey, are there any kids by my car?' and the guy goes and looks real quick and says 'no, you're good, you can drive away,'" Solis said.
Unfortunately, 19-month-old David Sirb had wandered in front of the SUV and as the driver pulled forward, he ran over the child with the right rear tire.
Solis said the neighborhood was crowded because residents were having their annual yard sale; he said a number of people saw the accident and ran to help.
"We're lucky that a Forsyth [County] firefighter lives across the street," said Solis. "He comes out and takes over the CPR [that bystanders had already begun]. A few minutes later Gwinnett Fire and Rescue shows up and they take over...there must have been 25 people giving this child attention."
Unfortunately, said Solis, at 4:10 p.m. - less than an hour after the child was run over - he was pronounced dead at Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Braselton.
Solis said the Georgia State Patrol is investigating the fatal accident, but he said neither they nor Braselton Police plan to file charges against the driver.
"It was a tragic accident for both families."
Solis said residents of The Falls immediately began a fundraising effort to help the Sirb family with funeral expenses for the little boy.
