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12-Year-Old Boy Dies After Falling Off Homecoming Parade Float, Getting Run Over

This is not the float in the story. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Kevin Harness Contributor
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A 12-year-old boy from Iowa died Friday when he fell from a homecoming parade float and then was run over.

The boy, who was identified as Kage McDonald, was riding a parade float outside Westwood Community School when he fell from the float and was airlifted to a hospital due to severe injuries, KTIV reported. (RELATED: Amusement Park Raft Flips, Injuring 3 And Killing 1)

Westwood Superintendent Jay Lutt, who identified the boy, sent out a letter to all parents of the school district, according to KTIV.

“It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that one of our junior high students, Kage McDonald, passed away today. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family. Kage had an enormous heart and I enjoyed every interaction I had with him. He was a tough kid who worked hard at everything he did. He will be missed and remembered by all who knew him,” the letter read.

The letter also read that the Westwood Ministerial Association was hosting a gathering in honor of McDonald, the football game was postponed to Saturday night, and that support services were available for students and staff as the town grieved over his death.

The president of the Westwood Ministerial Association said that the community came together and got through the tragedy, KCAU-TV reported.

“You’ve got to know that you’re not alone, and this community has done very very well in that,” Moore said, according to WOI-DT. “That’s one of the reasons I’m so proud to be a part of this community.”