Moments after returning from his elder brother’s burial, a four-year-old child was struck and killed by a vehicle in New York City, dealing the family a second devastating blow in as many weeks.
Around 6 o’clock on Saturday night, Domantea McDonald, who had autism, was standing in front of his uncle’s home on 147th Street in Jamaica, Queens when he abruptly raced off the sidewalk and into oncoming traffic.
The little child was very briefly on the road when he was struck by a Toyota RAV4 SUV, failing to be pulled out of harm’s way by his mother, who suffered a foot injury.
Grieving family members said Domantea attempted to crawl near his mother while yelling for her and survived the severe collision.
But the injured youngster instantly passed out, and the Long Island Jewish Medical Center eventually declared him dead.
Michael, Domantea’s grieving father, said that the devastating loss of both of his kids within a two-week period had left him feeling numb.
“I have nothing inside of me.” Nothing is present. After learning that his four-year-old son had passed away only hours after Tysheem, 18, who had been killed in a shooting two weeks earlier, was put to rest, Michael said, “I’m empty.”
“I just buried my [older] son,” I said. [Domantea] was just come to see me for a little while. He told the New York Post that he wasn’t intended to depart the world in that manner.
In the immediate aftermath of the collision, Domantea was still aware, and Michael dashed into the road to hold him still and prevent him from hurting himself more as they waited for help.
Minutes thereafter, first responders from the FDNY arrived on the scene and instructed the father to leave his kid alone while they examined his bruised body.
Domantea saw his mother and attempted to crawl toward her when one of the first responders shifted him to the side to examine the other side of his body.
Domantea’s life may have been spared if FDNY responders had held him motionless before transferring him to the hospital, according to Michael, who claimed that the emergency services let his son crawl a short distance after instructing him to step aside minutes earlier.
He passed away outside of a hospital. Right now, Michael remarked, “He passed away.
They allowed him to crawl, so I witnessed him depart his body right here.
However, police said that the event left the youngster with “serious head damage and abdominal ailments.”
While the patient was being transferred to the hospital, FDNY said that “life-saving procedures started,” but they have not yet responded to Michael’s accusations.
The Toyota RAV4’s driver stopped right away and remained in the area until help came.
He wasn’t put on trial.
Maurice McDonald, an uncle of the deceased boys, stated, “Two in a month, that hurts.”
We had scarcely finished grieving for one when the other passed away.
Meanwhile, Michael’s neighbour next door informed the New York Post that a guy lost two of his kids during the summer of 2022.
It’s something he’ll carry with him to the grave.