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Fajardo Mayor José Aníbal “Joey” Meléndez Méndez extended his condolences to the family of a 7-year-old boy who was tragically struck and killed on Wednesday while playing outside a home on Medusa Street in the Las Croabas neighborhood of the northeastern coastal town’s La Roca area.
The mayor characterized the event as unfortunate and offered to assist the family with any resources the municipality could provide during this difficult time.
“The residents of Fajardo and all of Puerto Rico are grieving, mourning the heartbreaking loss of Diego José Aponte, the seven-year-old boy who lost his life [Wednesday] in this very sorrowful incident, and at this moment, I can only implore for vast strength from […] God, to keep that family in our prayers, prayers which I know come from Fajardo and all of Puerto Rico,” Meléndez stated. “I must say, it is a tragic event; no words can adequately capture it.”
“Yet in this time of profound sadness, I want to express my hope that love and the memories of that child can fill the family’s hearts. These are my heartfelt wishes, my words of encouragement for them, and I aim to visit them, along with emergency management and municipal police, to offer all our resources, including psychological support from our team, social workers, and pastors,” the mayor added. “It is a very sad situation, I assure you, as it concerns them; it is their family that is in pain, it is about that child. Recently, just two days ago, his grandfather, who works at a public housing project in Fajardo, assisted us at a toy distribution event on December 23, helping other children in line.”
“I reflect on how one feels now with such heartbreaking news, thinking of the joy he might have had playing with those toys we delivered, and now this occurs,” Meléndez shared.
On Christmas Day, a driver in his 80s reportedly lost control of his vehicle and struck the child while he was in the yard of a house.
The child was rushed to a hospital where the attending physician pronounced him dead. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with law enforcement, according to police reports.
The boy’s mother, overcome with emotion, recounted the harrowing events.
“We were at a relative’s home cleaning the yard when Santa Claus gifted him one of those yard blowers,” the young woman explained. “When I said, ‘Diego, I’ll be back in a moment,’ I stepped out and saw [an SUV] approaching, as if it was visiting too. But instead of stopping, it sped up, and Diego became trapped between a Tacoma and the vehicle. Everyone rushed to help … we managed to extricate him, I performed CPR, but he couldn’t survive.”
Fajardo Region Highway Patrol Division agents, along with the on-duty prosecutor, are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Man killed on Christmas night in Canóvanas
Additionally, on Wednesday night, a man lost his life after being struck around 11:45 p.m. on PR-3 highway in front of the Villas de Loíza urbanization in Canóvanas.
As per the police report, authorities received a call through the 9-1-1 Emergency System regarding a vehicle collision. A driver in a gray 2012 Toyota Corolla was en route from Canóvanas to Río Grande when, upon reaching the entrance of the development, he collided with Edwin Meléndez Santana, a 66-year-old resident of Río Grande.
Meléndez Santana was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle halted and underwent an alcohol screening, which yielded a negative result.
Investigators from the Carolina Region Highway Patrol Division were looking into the matter on Thursday.
