Key Largo toddler, Austen Mark Alward, killed by car after wandering from parents’ home
photo Scott Davidson
A tragic story has unfolded from the Florida Keys this morning. A toddler went missing from a Key Largo home Monday night, and was tragically found dead near mile marker 99 on Highway U.S. One.
According to a Monroe County Sheriff press release, parents of two-year-old Austen Mark Alward called deputies just after midnight to report that their son has gone missing.
The report states that the couple had searched for nearly 30 minutes prior to calling deputies.
Law enforcement from several agencies combined efforts to help search for the little boy; including deputies from the Sheriff’s office, Florida Highway Patrol and Customs and Border Protection.
Tragically, after about 20 minutes of searching, the little boy was found dead in the southbound lane near mile-marker 99. Deputies suspect that he was hit by a car.
Deputies sent out a notice to look for any drivers that may have hit the little boy and stopped a car near mile marker 23. The report states that the driver of the vehicle claims that he might have hit something near mile marker 99.
The accident is currently being investigated by the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit.
