By Karim Hammam
A 21-month-old girl, Nyxailia Hinton, died on Tuesday after being struck by a car at a pumpkin patch in Sevierville, Tennessee, leaving her family in mourning and prompting a community fundraising effort.
Incident Details
The toddler, known as Zayla, was at the pumpkin patch on Happy Hollow Lane with a babysitter when she fell and was fatally hit by a vehicle, according to her mother, Peandra Hinton. Emergency responders from the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene, and the child was rushed to a hospital intensive care unit with a cracked skull and cracked ribs. She died just after midnight.
Family's Grief
“She just lit up the room,” Peandra Hinton told WVLT. “If you were having a bad day, you see Zayla, she’s gonna turn it all around.” The girl’s father said the family wants justice and will not let up. “This has torn up her whole family. She wasn’t even 22 months old,” he said.
Fundraising Efforts
A GoFundMe page created to cover funeral costs had raised more than $7,000 of its $12,000 goal as of October 30. The page describes Peandra Hinton as a single mother out of work facing unimaginable grief.
Investigation Ongoing
The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed personnel attended the incident. The Independent has contacted the office for further comment.
