A one-year-old boy was killed by a semi in North Carolina as the toddler walked the same lane as the truck, authorities said.
Brooks McCoy Ambrose died on April 14 after he was hit by the 2019 white Freightliner near Sadie Road at 8.10pm, 40 miles east of Raleigh.
Authorities told the Daily Mail that Ambrose was walking along the left lane of highway NC-42 when the Freightliner drove by and accidentally hit him.
Ambrose died on the scene. He would have turned two in September, reported the Wilson Times.
The toddler was playing outside with his father when he wandered too close to the highway. The boy's family told WNCN his death was a 'freak accident.'
After the tragic crash, the unnamed driver pulled over and waited at the scene as the North Carolina Highway Patrol responded.
'The driver of the Freightliner is showing to have no contributing circumstances in this collision,' troopers told the Daily Mail. 'There are no charges at this time.'
The vehicle was traveling eastbound on the highway. A portion of the road was closed following Ambrose's death, reopening at 11pm the same evening.
Ambrose's aunt, Caitlin Howard Hughes, set up a GoFundMe to garner financial support for the boy's celebration of life ceremony.
According to the tribute to him listed on the fundraising page, Ambrose was 'happy, spunky and full of energy.'
'As we navigate this time with his family, we have many from near and far wanting to help. Any donations will be going directly to the family to help with his celebration of life,' it read.
'We believe in the power of prayer and cling to the promise that one day we will all be reunited with our Brooks Boy, Boosey, our Brooks McCoy.'
'Specifically ask for prayers for his Mom, Kelsey, his 4 siblings, and his Dad, Keith.'
The family requested $35,000 and has already raised more than $43,000.
The boy's mother, Kelsey, wrote a tribute to her child on Facebook following his devastating death.
'I can't fathom life without you in it. You were loved from your first breath to your last,' it said. 'You spent your final moments on earth doing what you loved with your favorite person, your daddy.'
His father, Keith Ambrose, said on Facebook that his heart was 'so empty and so full' amidst the outpouring of support from their community following his son's death.
Keith said he has 'regrets' about the moments leading up to his son's tragic accident, saying 'in the moment he needed me the most, I wasn't there.'
Kelsey and Keith Ambrose share four other children. The family lives in Wilson, North Carolina.
Charges against Ambrose's parents are not anticipated. The crash remains under investigation.