NEWSLINE: CHILD DIES AFTER BEING HIT BY CAR

A 3-year old Cape Girardeau boy died Wednesday after being hit by a car along Big Bend Road.

The victim is Seth A. Breitenstein, 1828 Big Bend Road. Police said the accident occurred at 7:45 p.m.

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter said the boy and his brother and sister were playing in the yard of their home and had gone back to the house to put away their bicycles.

For some reason, Seth ran back into the yard and darted across the street into the path of the car, he said.

Police identified the driver of the car as Ritsuko G. Stone, 36, of 1614 Scott. Carpenter said Stone was not speeding and attempted to miss the boy.

"It was one of those unfortunate situations where she tried her best to stop but couldn't stop fast enough," he said.

The boy was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital where he died at 8:25 p.m., the coroner said.

Carpenter said the children were not playing close to the street, but that the child might have noticed something on the other side of the road that made him want to cross the street.