On July 4, 2016 at approximately 4:10 p.m., Tucson Police officers responded to the 2000 block of South Placita Del Jubilo for a report of a serious injury collision involving a small child. Tucson Fire Department personnel were on scene prior to our arrival and transported the child to Banner University Medical Center. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, the child succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Tucson Police Traffic Detectives responded to the scene to continue the investigation. They were able to determine that the child was not involved in a collision and had actually fallen out of a moving vehicle. The parents of the child told investigators they had buckled their child into a car seat in the back seat of their 2004 Ford F150 4-door pickup truck. As they began traveling at low rate of speed down the residential street, the child was able to get out of his car seat and open the drivers-side, passenger door. When the door opened, the child fell out of the moving vehicle and struck his head. An autopsy is scheduled for later this week.
Neither speed nor impairments appear to be factors in this incident.
The child was identified as 2-year-old Sebastian Salinas. Next of kin has been notified.