CALDWELL, Idaho — Caldwell Police have arrested a suspect accused of being involved in a hit-and-run Thursday, just before 4 p.m. in the 4800 block of Ida Red Avenue.
According to the Caldwell Police Department, the victim, a 4-year-old child, was riding their bicycle in the street in front of their home when the crash happened.
Watch: Caldwell family reliving the terrifying moment
Authorities say a truck was traveling “at a high rate of speed” when it hit the bicycle’s front tire, causing the child to fall into the street. The victim sustained minor injuries in the collision.
Officers evaluated the victim before family members took the injured child to a nearby hospital.
After the incident, officers say they quickly located the suspect, identified as 23-year-old Joshuah Martinez. “He was taken into custody without incident,” according to the Caldwell Police Department.
Martinez has since been charged with reckless driving, obstruction of an officer, and leaving the scene of an accident — a felony.
“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare — getting a call that your child has been hit by a car while riding their bike,” said Savannah Wiley, the child’s mother. “In that moment, your mind goes straight to the worst.”
It’s a moment she says will stay with her forever after receiving a call from her husband saying their 4-year-old son had been hit while riding his bike.
“I screamed, ‘what?’ All he said was, ‘you need to get home — Knox just got hit by a car,’” Wiley said. “And instantly, I thought the worst. That’s my baby… my kids are my life.”
Savannah says she rushed her son to the hospital, where he was evaluated and later cleared.
“That kid came so close to losing his life, and I came so close to living my biggest fear as a parent because of somebody else’s actions,” Wiley said.
What she didn’t expect was what came next: the community stepping up.
After a post from Mayor Eric Phillips urging drivers to slow down and stay alert, Caldwell neighbors came together to support the family, even offering to replace Knoxtyn’s bike after it was damaged in the crash.
“It kind of gives me a little more faith in humanity… for people to spend their own money and give him something back that was taken by somebody else,” Wiley said.
The next morning, Mayor Phillips stopped by with a new bike— a gesture Savannah says meant everything.
Now, she’s urging drivers to slow down, especially in neighborhoods, as her son works to find the courage to ride again.
This is a developing story and Idaho News 6 will bring you more on the investigation as details become available.
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