Amazon Driver Charged with Negligence After Killing 4-Year-Old Boy
A four-year-old boy named Tadens Joseph was killed by an Amazon delivery driver near Maple Park in Kansas City on May 4, 2026. The driver, Estefany L. Ortiz, was driving a 2022 Rivian electric delivery van with Amazon logos and had just dropped off a package nearby.
According to the lawsuit filed by Tadens' parents, Ortiz should have seen the boy standing in front of the vehicle before she got back in and accelerated, striking Tadens. The van's forward-facing camera captured the incident, which was later found in Riverside.
The Kansas City Police Department initially said that Ortiz stopped at the scene, but left before officers arrived. A family member followed her to her next delivery stop, where she denied involvement and drove off again.
The lawsuit named Ortiz, Daval Express LLC, and the co-registered owner of the van, David N. Maasen, as defendants, accusing them of negligence and vicarious liability. The suit also raised six counts, including wrongful death, and seeks damages in excess of $25,000.