2-year-old girl riding in toy car killed by passing driver, NC sheriff says

A 2-year-old girl was killed and a 4-year-old was injured when their toy car was struck by a passing vehicle, according to investigators in North Carolina.

It happened around noon on April 23 at a mobile home park near Fayetteville, and the parents of the children were witnesses, according to Cumberland County Sheriff Johnathan Morgan.

An investigation led to the 18-year-old driver being charged, court documents show.

“The preliminary investigation revealed a motor vehicle went left of center and struck two juveniles that were in a toy car being pulled by their parents,” Morgan said in a Facebook post.

“The toy car was occupied by a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. Both juveniles were transported to a medical facility for treatment. The 2-year-old succumbed to injuries sustained from the motor vehicle collision at the medical facility.”

Court documents identified the 2-year-old as Cecilia Ballester Martinez. The 4-year-old was seriously injured, a citation reports.

The driver, 18-year-old Abinijah Lavon Lewis of Fayetteville, was also taken to a hospital for treatment, officials said. Details of his injuries were not released.

An investigation conducted by the N.C. State Highway Patrol resulted in Lewis being charged on Sunday with misdemeanor death by vehicle, according to court documents. The collision was unintentional, and occurred when the vehicle failed to stay on the right side of the road, officials said.

The crash occurred about a 70-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 6:08 AM.