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A toddler died after a Hummer ran him over while he and his brother played at a car wash Thursday.

The Hummer’s driver, a young man, will not be charged, Police Chief Bruce Ure said.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Ure said of the driver. “He just didn’t see the small child that had wandered away.”

The driver hugged his knees and sobbed inside a covered lane at Lone Star Car Wash. An officer gently led him away for questioning. As he explained what happened, the driver wiped his eyes.

“He’ll never be the same,” Ure said.

The toddler and his six-year-old brother played as their parents cleaned their white Mitsubishi sedan shortly after 4 p.m., Ure said. Nearby, the driver finished vacuuming his sport utility vehicle and pulled forward, Ure said. He was not speeding, Ure said.

The Hummer’s front and rear passenger tires rolled over the child.

“This is an absolute unfortunate accident,” Ure said.

The toddler was pronounced dead at Citizens Medical Center at 4:31 p.m., Ure said. A house supervisor there confirmed a small child died in the emergency room after being hit.

The child’s two older brothers hugged teddy bears as they were carried away from the family’s car. The toddler’s child seat remained in the car.

Car wash manager Ernest Hinojosa tried to wash away the baby’s blood, but guessed it would stain. He did not see the accident Thursday.

“It really hits you,” said Hinojosa, who is a father.

Children often play in the parking lot, Hinojosa said.

“I tell the people all the time they need to watch their kids,” Hinojosa said.

Police at the scene were somber. Ure contemplated the family’s sorrow.

“I’ve done death notifications before,” Ure said. “But to sit there and look up, and I can’t imagine that.”

Leslie Wilber is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6521 or e-mail her at lwilber@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com