EVANSTON (WNE) — The world can shatter in an instant.
The Evanston community was reminded of that this week when 2-year-old Niko Ringer was tragically killed after he darted into the street in front of a truck driven by an unidentified 19-year-old male at approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
According to Wyoming Highway Patrol Lt. Matt Arnell, the accident was just that — a “horrible set of circumstances” that resulted in unimaginable loss.
Shortly before the accident, the boy’s parents — Tosha Scott and Aube Ringer — had taken a dirty diaper outside to the garbage, and now suspect the door hadn’t shut securely when they went back inside.
Niko had been playing in the living room of his home in the area when he was momentarily left unattended, said Arnell. In those moments, the boy must have slipped out the door and into the street, directly in the path of the oncoming truck.
Arnell said the driver never saw the boy coming as it is believed he darted out from behind some shrubbery. The teen driver realized he had hit something and stopped, immediately calling 911 when he saw the boy.
Though the incident is still under investigation and law enforcement have recovered the engine control module from the truck and the driver’s cellphone, Arnell said there is no indication that distraction, impairment or speed were factors in the accident.
