Toddler’s Death on Florida Beach Prompts Family’s Plea for Safer Driving Rules
A 22-month-old girl died Saturday after she ran into a traffic lane on a Florida beach where driving is permitted, prompting her grieving family to demand tighter regulations.
Avery Lynn Sexton was struck by a vehicle around 4:30 p.m. on New Smyrna Beach, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Officials said the driver remained at the scene and showed no signs of speeding or impairment.
The toddler’s relatives described her as a joyful child whose “laugh was contagious,” and launched a GoFundMe to cover memorial expenses — raising more than $15,000 of an $18,000 goal by Wednesday.
“Avery had so much spirit — she could light up a room just by being herself,” wrote Jade Lindlau, a cousin of the girl’s mother, Felicity Dionisi. “Her loving nature touched everyone she met, and her sweetness made her truly unforgettable.”
Avery’s father, Dante Sexton, told Fox 35 Orlando that his daughter was “the happiest little girl you could ever meet” and “a light of anybody’s day.”
The accident has reignited debate over beach driving rules in Volusia County, where vehicles are allowed on designated stretches of sand at a speed limit of 10 mph. Memorial Day weekend crowds made the beach especially congested that day, local resident Tony Cook told WKMG-TV.
“It was very sad. You had tons of help… but it was a very instant and spontaneous thing that happened,” Cook said. “We are certainly overcrowded here on weekends and holidays, and that’s when you have the biggest problems.”
Alyssa Jasmine, the toddler’s aunt, urged officials to consider making beaches one-way and lowering the speed limit to 5 mph to avoid future tragedies.
The Professional Firefighters of Orange City called Avery “an extended piece of our OCFD and Local 5375 family” in a Facebook tribute. Local councilman Matt Reinhart told Fox 35 Orlando his “heart breaks” for the family, adding that he “cannot imagine the pain they are experiencing.”
A memorial has appeared on the beach near where Avery was hit, with photos, flowers and handwritten notes left by residents and friends. One note, describing her as “her mother’s princess,” asked visitors to leave seashells in her honor.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for updated information.