Boy (11) died from traumatic brain injuries after being hit by truck, inquest hears

Elrich Caputo from Meath was on his way to a football match when he was hit

The boy’s mother was visited by gardaí at her home in Navan on the morning of the accident.

A young boy on his way to a football match died from traumatic brain injuries after he was hit by a truck.

Elrich Caputo (11) from Reask Drive, Navan, Co Meath died after he was hit by a truck as he crossed the road on the morning of October 16th, 2016.

The incident took place at Abbeylands South, Navan, Co Meath shortly before 10am.

Elrich was a football fanatic who played with Parkvilla Football Club.

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A Garda investigation into the incident is ongoing, an inquest into his death heard at Dublin Coroner’s Court.

Insp Martina Noonan applied to the court for a six month adjournment of proceedings to allow for Garda inquiries to continue.

The boy’s mother was visited by gardaí at her home in Navan on the morning of the accident, she said in her deposition.

“I was woken in the house by gardaí around 10.30am. The gardaí informed me that my son had been in a road traffic accident and he had been taken to hospital,” Luciana Caputo said in her statement.

Elrich was airlifted to Tallaght Hospital and later transferred to Temple Street Children’s Hospital. Mrs Caputo followed her son to Temple Street Children’s Hospital and stayed with him until his death a week later.

“I stayed by his side for seven days,” Mrs Caputo said. Elrich was pronounced dead in hospital at 3.15pm on October 23rd.

Garda Patrick O’Brien of Mountjoy Garda station was called to Temple Street Children’s Hospital later that afternoon for the purpose of formal identification. Garda O’Brien said the boy’s parents were present in hospital and Elrich was formally identified by his mother.

Pathologist Dr Emma Doyle carried out an autopsy and gave the cause of death as craniocerebral trauma due to a road traffic collision. The boy’s mother was not present in court but his father was present and accompanied by a Garda liaison officer. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane extended her sympathies to the family and adjourned the inquest for further mention on September 21st, 2017.