Sonoma boy, 3, dies after being hit by pickup

A 3-year-old Sonoma boy who was struck by a truck Sunday evening when he fell from his stroller in a Sonoma Valley crosswalk has died, according to the CHP.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office identified the boy as Owen Todeschini of the El Verano area.

According to the CHP, the boy’s mother had been on a walk at about 6 p.m. with the boy and a younger sibling in a two-seater stroller. The 3-year-old was seated but not strapped in.

At West Verano and Railroad avenues, she waited at the crosswalk for a clear time to cross, the CHP said.

She stepped into the intersection after seeing a pickup driver stop near the crosswalk. She was about 12 to 15 feet along the crosswalk with the stroller when she saw the driver of the pickup begin moving forward. Realizing the truck was going to hit the stroller, she yanked it back. That action caused the 3-year-old to topple out of the stroller and into the path of a 2006 Toyota Tundra driven by 65-year-old Bedford Ealum of Glen Ellen. The CHP said Ealum, who was accompanied by his wife, did not see the boy and struck him.

The boy was flown to Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa where medical officials pronounced him dead Sunday night. No other family members were injured.

Ealum stopped at the scene and cooperated with officers. He was given sobriety tests and showed no signs of alcohol use, the CHP said.

The Sonoma County Coroner’s Office is conducting an examination to determine the cause of death, while the CHP continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. Officers planned to return to the crash site to evaluate the angle of the sun, to see if it could have obscured the driver’s vision, Officer Marc Renspurger said.

Staff Writer Martin Espinoza ?contributed to this report.