A one-year-old girl has died after being struck by a car while on a beach walk with her parents in Florida. Avery Lynn Sexton was hit on New Smyrna Beach, around 14 miles from Daytona Beach, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on May 23.
The Volusia Sheriff's Office said a preliminary investigation indicated that the toddler ran into a traffic lane. Authorities added that speed or impairment do not appear to be factors. The driver remained at the scene.
Avery was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. Witness Mia Leporn described the incident as “heartbreaking,” telling News 6: “A little girl was face down in the sand. People were screaming; people were crying.”
Avery’s father, Dante Sexton, described her as the “happiest little girl you could ever meet” and the “light of anybody’s day that met her.” A GoFundMe campaign launched to help with funeral expenses has raised over $16,000, describing Avery as able to “light up a room just by being herself.”
The Professional Firefighters of Orange City, who said Avery was part of their extended family, expressed their condolences and asked the community to keep the family in their thoughts. Witness Leporn urged drivers to take extra precautions near beaches, noting that children can be excited and run into traffic.
