8-Year-Old Run Over By Independence Day Float Identified

Edmond, OK – Authorities are still trying to determine if 8-year-old Aidan Hooper accidentally fell or jumped off of the towed float he was riding upon during a Fourth of July LibertyFest parade in downtown Edmond.

Aidan was accidentally killed Thursday morning around 11 am after he was run over by one of the wheels of a martial arts themed parade float as it was driven along Ayers Street and Bauman Avenue. The float was returning to the staging area on the northeastern edge of the University of Central Oklahoma’s campus at the time.

His father, 44-year-old Quinton Hooper, was driving and unknowingly ran over his child. News OK reports, a nurse who happened by during the ordeal performed CPR on Aidan before he was taken to the hospital by other emergency responders. He reportedly had a pulse and was unconscious, but emergency medical crews were unable to revive the child at the scene.

The boy was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Oklahoma University Medical Center shortly after where he was pronounced dead.

Aidan’s named was not initially released by police in reports.

Authorities intend to interview the boy’s father about the incident in the near future, but they are not planning to press criminal charges against him – deeming the event a tragic accident. Mr. Hooper did not drive recklessly nor did he violate any traffic laws that led to the child’s death.

For now investigators are interviewing other witnesses, reports The Tribune. Several people saw the accident, including some children who were friends with the boy.

Police Officer James Hamm said:

“The hard thing in this case is that most of the witnesses were young children, so we’re having to speak with their parents to get a good idea of whether he jumped off or fell somehow. That’s the main thing we’re trying to determine.”

[Image via Shutterstock]