Stephanie Noble remarked, “Sometimes it’s hard to understand why God takes them from us.”

After their 3-year-old boy was fatally hit by a car early on Thursday, a family is in grief.

Mom The family had just spent their first night in their new Town ‘N’ Country, Florida apartment, according to Stephanie Noble of CBS station WTSP-TV, when they discovered Cody, who had autism, had passed away.

The youngster exited the apartment complex around 3:30 in the morning, according to a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and was struck in the northbound lane of Sheldon Road close to Brennan Circle.

After an hour, officers “discovered an open door at the Valencia Apartments and realized the parents were looking for their child,” the sheriff, Chad Chronister, said in a statement.

St. Joseph’s Hospital declared the boy deceased.

Even our most experienced deputies would agree that this is a dreadful scene, Chronister continued. “As parents, you only want your children to be safe and sleeping in their beds at 3:30 in the morning. The situation is a nightmare for everyone.

The motorist, who has not been officially identified, was on his way home after leaving work when he discovered he had struck something on the road, according to NBC affiliate WFLA-TV. He was claimed to have stayed at the site and was not currently charged.

Cody’s mother told WTSP-TV that her kid was a “eloper,” meaning that he would roam or flee from safe places, which is a behavior that is typical of autistic children.

She continued by saying that although the family had previously used cameras with phone alerts and additional protection, the elements had not been able to be installed on their first night. She told the newspaper, “It’s hard to understand why God removes them from us sometimes.

She told WFLA-TV that they had just moved and were “beyond exhausted” and that they “didn’t hear anything when he got out.”

Stephanie stated that the apartment complex’s gates were left open the night her son died, and she wanted to share her experience to urge other parents to take the appropriate safety precautions.

Never take children for granted. Don’t overlook the simple things, she advised WTSP-TV. “If it’s something as simple as your child locks, safety locks, and alarms.”

To help the family with funeral costs, a friend of the family has created a GoFundMe page. The charity event had amassed almost $10,000 as of Friday.