Deaths of 2 children struck while playing on Florida beaches tests tradition

Child deaths test Fla.’s beach driving tradition

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Two 4-year-olds have been killed by vehicles legally driving on Florida beaches this summer, touching off a debate among locals torn over whether to ban the deep-rooted tradition.

The first death involved a British girl who was holding a relative’s hand when she stepped in front of him and was hit. Then in July, Aiden Patrick was playing on the beach when he ran into an oncoming truck.

Aiden was from the area, and his tragedy hit close to home.

Most local elected officials want to keep the custom, in part because it has long been part of this area’s identity.

Black-and-white photographs of early Ford models racing on the shore decorate restaurant walls around town, and NASCAR even held parts of races on the sand until 1959, when Daytona International Speedway opened.