OHP: Boy Killed At Oologah Lake After Father Backs Over Him With SUV

A young boy is dead after a large sport utility vehicle driven by his father backed over him at a campsite along Oologah Lake.

The toddler was attending a birthday party at Spencer Creek Cove, near Chelsea, about 2 p.m. on Saturday. Eric Muskrat Jr., 23, of Claremore, reportedly told troopers he thought his son was elsewhere.

Muskrat's Ford Expedition backed over the boy in a grassy area and killed him, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Friends say Eric Muskrat III was two years old.

Investigators on the scene called the death "a tragic situation."

OHP Lt. Vern Wilson said it's difficult to see a child behind an average size vehicle unless he or she is about 15 feet away from the bumper. In a large SUV, the visibility distance is even greater, he said.

Friends of the family have set up a fund to help pay for the boy's funeral. Donations can be made at any RCB bank location under the names Eric Muskrat or Tommie Rickman.