4-Year-Old Hit, Killed in Alexandria; Mother Injured

A 4-year-old boy was struck and killed by a vehicle shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday on Stevenson Avenue in West End Alexandria.

The boy was walking alongside the road with his mother when he broke free and ran, said Alexandria police spokeswoman Ashley Hildebrandt.

"The 4-year-old ran into the street," she said. "The mother ran after him."

An 84-year-old man was driving a 2010 Jeep Commander eastbound on Stevenson Avenue when the boy ran into the street, police found in their preliminary investigation. The boy’s mother ran after him, and both were struck by the Jeep, according to a news release.

The mother and son were taken to INOVA Fairfax Hospital, where the boy was pronounced dead. The mother sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The driver remained on the scene.

Police have not yet released the boy's identity.

The boy's death occurred in the 6300 block of Stevenson Avenue, near its intersection with Yoakum Parkway. Members of the police Crash Reconstruction Team are investigating.

Authorities are asking anyone who was in the area Saturday morning or who might have witnessed the crash to call the Alexandria Police Department at 703-746-4444.