ORLANDO, Fla. — An 11-year-old girl was hospitalized Thursday morning in serious condition after being struck by a pickup truck in west Orange County.
- Girl in serious condition after being struck by pickup
- Witnesses said she was startled by dog, jumped into roadway
- 2nd time in 48 hours that child struck by vehicle in area
Nunka Exantus of Orlando was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children after the crash, which happened at about 8:20 a.m. at Lakeville and Beggs roads, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Troopers said a 2010 Toyota pickup truck driven by Sury Vasquez Benitez, 31, of Orlando was headed northbound on Lakeville Road when the crash happened.
Witnesses told troopers that a dog behind a fence startled the girl, who jumped into the roadway. Benitez was not able to stop in time, and the girl was struck.
The crash was the second one in less than 48 hours in which a child was struck by a vehicle in Central Florida. On Tuesday night, a 12-year-old boy was struck and killed while trying to cross State Road 44 in Leesburg.