Toddler dies after car strike at Tennessee pumpkin patch

Nyxailia Hinton, a 21-month-old girl from Sevier County, Tennessee, died from injuries sustained after being struck by a car at a pumpkin patch on Tuesday.

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident is under investigation. No charges have been filed yet. The department stated that the toddler fell and was hit by a vehicle driven by a family friend. Officials have not provided details on how or where she fell.

Peandra Hinton, the child’s mother, said the toddler was in the care of a babysitter who took her to the pumpkin patch without permission. The mother stated her daughter was with a group of people she did not know at the time of the accident.

Peandra Hinton rushed to the hospital, where her daughter died on Tuesday. The mother described the previous 48 hours as a whirlwind, noting that the hardest part was waking up without her child.

“The fact that I couldn’t wake up this morning to my baby, it really tore me up,” Peandra Hinton said. She described her daughter as a bright presence, saying, “She just lit up the room. If you were having a bad day, you see Zayla, she’s gonna turn it all around.”

The family is currently arranging funeral services. Nyxailia’s father said the family wants justice and is not letting up. “We want justice for her. And we ain’t letting up, I don’t care if someone’s feelings get hurt, this has torn up her whole family. She wasn’t even 22 months old,” he said.