A 3-year-old in Stebbins was accidentally killed on New Year’s Eve after being run over by a truck, according to a dispatch from Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said the child — Dwight Pete — was playing outside underneath the truck while both his mother and the vehicle’s owner were inside the local store.
“The truck owner got into the vehicle and as he was driving away, he felt a bump,” said Peters. “When he looked in his mirror, he saw the child lying on the ground. The owner of the vehicle did everything possible for the kid. He and the mother took him to get help, but unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done.”
Pete was pronounced dead at the Stebbins clinic.
Troopers in Nome were notified of the child’s death at 2 p.m. on Thursday and traveled to Stebbins to investigate. While the incident is still under investigation, Peters said troopers do not suspect foul play.
“The driver of the vehicle was very cooperative. The mother was cooperative. It just seems to be a very tragic incident where the kid was just playing for a few minutes and it ended very badly,” she said.
The child’s body is being sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, which Peters said is standard practice for all unattended deaths in Alaska.
