FPPD investigating death of 9-year-old boy who died in early morning traffic crash

FPPD investigating death of 9-year-old boy who died in early morning traffic crash

Fort Pierce, Fla- Fort Pierce police officers are investigating an early morning car crash that resulted in the death of a 9-year-old boy and injured three others, including his 5-year-old sister.

At 4:38 a.m., Dec. 25, officers were called to the intersection of Cortez and Sunrise Boulevards, which is a 3-way intersection. A 2005 Toyota Corolla there that was traveling eastbound on Cortez drove into an unoccupied Ford F-250 pickup truck that was parked off the roadway on the east side of Sunrise.

There were two adults and two children in the Toyota. The 9-year-old boy, Issac Santillan, of Fort Pierce, died at the scene.  Alani Ruiz, his five year old sister, was critically injured and flown to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

Alani’s father, Julio Ruiz, was driving the Toyota. He is in stable condition at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce.  There was an adult female passenger who was in the front right seat. She had to be extracted from the vehicle by St. Lucie County Fire Rescue. She is in critical condition at Lawnwood. The children were in the back seat.

Today was Issac’s ninth birthday.

The investigation is ongoing to determine the factors that led to the crash.