DADE CITY, Fla. -- The city's police department was there.
Officers from the New Port Richey and Zephyrhills police departments also were on hand.
Even cadets from the police academy at Pasco-Hernando Community College provided extra security during the city's annual Christmas parade.
Still, an accident happened.
During a pause in Friday night's parade, 5-year-old Francisco Montero went up to the HPH Hospice float, on which his mother was riding, to get more candy to throw to the crowd. The Lutz boy had been walking near the float during the festivities, police said.
The driver, Timothy Ross of Dade City, didn't see Francisco approach the stopped float and when the parade's pace resumed, Ross let the float roll forward. When he looked in the side-view mirror, he saw the boy on the road and stopped the truck, police said.
Bystanders pulled Francisco away from the float and he was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where he was treated for scratches. He had no broken bones or major injuries, authorities said.
Police believe the boy fell after one of the float's tires struck his foot. No charges were filed.
Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom said he will meet with members of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and other parade officials to determine what can be done to avoid future mishaps.
Velboom noted the 2007 incident when a 9-year-old boy was run over and killed by a float during the Plant City Christmas parade. The boy was walking alongside a church float and distributing candy when he was caught under its wheels.
"We'll make sure we're following all the rules and see if there's anything we need to do differently," Velboom said Monday. "It's an accident. We'll sit down and talk. Maybe there's some changes we need to make."
Velboom said he was at the tail end of the parade when the incident happened, but that there happened to be physicians at the location where Francisco was injured. The parade was halted temporarily while the boy was taken to St. Joseph's.
"There were eight or nine witnesses," Velboom said. "Everybody was very orderly, except for just a lot of shock and concern."
John Moors, executive director of the chamber of commerce, said the parade, attended by thousands, otherwise was a success.
"We do have a meeting planned," he said. "We'll have a look at what we can do in the future so we don't run into that again.
"We've had a lot of people calling in to say it was a great parade. The parade was nice, the weather was great and we're looking forward to running it again next year."
Copyright 2011 - Tampa Tribune, Fla.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
