Stephen Ellison

4-Year-Old Dies After Being Hit by Runaway Vehicle in Benicia

A 4-year-old boy was killed and a 13-year-old boy was injured in Benicia on Sunday night after a car backed up into them, according to the Benicia Police Department.

The accident occurred about 4:45 p.m. during a birthday party not far from Benicia police headquarters, police said. Investigators said a 12-year-old boy got into a vehicle to charge his phone, somehow put the car into reverse and ran down the two other boys in a parking lot of a senior center at East Second and East L streets.

Police said they were not sure if the car's engine was running.

Officers who arrived on the scene first provided aid to the injured 4-year-old. The boy was transported to a local hospital, where he later died, police said.

The 12-year-old who was inside the car also suffered minor injuries. The extent of the injuries to the two older boys was not known, police said. It also was not known whether any of the boys were related to one another.

Preliminary investigation indicates the crash was just a tragic accident, but it was still being investigated late Sunday night.

No further details were available.

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