Authorities say the 10-year-old avoided the impact but was hurt when his scooter was run over in an Escambia County neighborhood.
PENSACOLA, FL — A United States Postal Service carrier has been arrested after investigators say he intentionally drove his mail truck toward a 10-year-old boy on Dec. 27 in an Escambia County subdivision, striking and crushing the child’s scooter as the boy ran into a nearby yard.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers allege the encounter began with a misdelivered package and ended with felony charges. The driver, identified as 41-year-old William White Jr., was taken into custody days later and is accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, petit theft and criminal mischief. The incident has drawn scrutiny from the Postal Service and state troopers alike, with both agencies reviewing what happened on a short stretch of Kingfisher Way near Kingfisher Court, just north of Pensacola. Records show White was booked and later released on bond as investigators collect statements, video and damage estimates tied to the confrontation.
According to troopers, a package meant for a nearby home was mistakenly dropped at the boy’s residence in the late afternoon on Dec. 27. The child placed the parcel on his electric scooter to carry it to the correct address, investigators said. As the boy moved along the residential street, the carrier allegedly believed the package was being stolen. Troopers say White steered the right-hand-drive mail truck toward the child and accelerated. The scooter was crushed at the curb line after the boy darted through a yard gate. “This was an intentional act by a United States postal worker,” Florida Highway Patrol Capt. Jason King said in a televised interview. Family members told troopers the boy cried out and stumbled after the near miss, and neighbors came outside as the truck rolled to a stop with pieces of the scooter pinned beneath the front end.
Troopers said White pulled the remains of the scooter from under the truck, loaded it into the vehicle and began to drive away while shouting at the child. A relative followed the mail truck and confronted the driver a short distance away, according to an incident report. The scooter was then tossed into another yard, investigators said. The child was evaluated for an ankle injury and soreness and was later seen at a local children’s hospital. No other injuries were reported. Authorities did not immediately release the speed of the truck or disclose whether onboard Postal Service telematics or neighborhood camera footage captured the approach. The make and route number of the vehicle were also not released by troopers.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the confrontation unfolded near Kingfisher Way and Kingfisher Court, a development of single-family homes where mail service includes curbside boxes on narrow, winding streets. The boy’s family told investigators the child recognized the intended address on the parcel label and had moved less than a block when the carrier circled back. Neighbors described hearing a burst of engine noise and a thud followed by shouting. Troopers documented gouge marks at the edge of the pavement and fragments of plastic and aluminum from the scooter’s frame. A damage estimate for the scooter was pending. Investigators have not alleged that the boy touched the mail truck or tried to flee with the package; they said the parcel was later recovered and delivered to the correct home.
White was arrested on Dec. 31 when he reported to work, according to booking records. He faces one felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, based on the allegation he aimed a two-ton vehicle at a child, and two misdemeanor counts of petit theft and criminal mischief tied to the damaged scooter and removal of the property, investigators said. Jail records show he posted a $5,500 bond the same day. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said it has opened a parallel inquiry with local law enforcement. A Postal Service spokesperson said the agency takes safety seriously and does not discuss personnel actions in public. As of Sunday, employment status, route assignment and internal discipline were not released.
The case comes as federal carriers nationwide continue holiday-season work through late December, when misdeliveries and suspected “porch piracy” frequently generate disputes at front doors. Escambia County deputies and troopers have documented a small number of delivery confrontations in recent years, though state crash records show intentional vehicle assaults remain relatively rare. In this instance, the Highway Patrol classified the episode as an assault rather than a crash because investigators allege deliberate steering toward a person, not an accidental strike. The boy’s name was withheld under state policy. No other vehicles were involved, and troopers did not indicate impairment. Weather at the time was clear, according to preliminary notes in the patrol’s report.
Prosecutors will review the investigative file this week to determine formal charges. An arraignment date had not been posted on the public docket by Sunday afternoon. Investigators planned to canvass for additional home-security video on Kingfisher Way and to confirm repair estimates for the scooter. Any disciplinary action by the Postal Service will occur on a separate track. If the felony count proceeds, court records will set hearing dates and any no-contact conditions involving the child and his family. The Highway Patrol said it will provide an update after evidence review and additional interviews.
On the block where the scooter was crushed, tire tracks and a scuffed patch of sod remained visible this weekend. One neighbor, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Carol, said she heard the roar of the truck and a child yelling before adults rushed outside. “It sounded like the engine jumped and then a crunch,” she said. A family relative told troopers the boy has been resting at home with a tender ankle and bruising. A passerby described the child as quiet but alert after the scare. Mail service resumed on the street later in the week with a different carrier, residents said.
As of Sunday night, investigators said the child’s condition was stable and no additional injuries had been reported. The Highway Patrol expects to release a brief update when charging documents are filed or a first court date is set early this week.
Author note: Last updated January 4, 2026.