MONTEREY, La. – A 5-year-old Monterey boy was killed Wednesday when the car his mother was driving struck the back of a truck on Louisiana 129.

Dallas B. Morace, 5, of 11480 Louisiana 129, was pronounced dead at Riverland Medical Center in Ferriday following the accident, which happened just after 4 p.m.

According to Louisiana State Police reports, a 1996 Mazda being driven by Morace’s mother, 30-year-old Sharla Morace, was northbound on Louisiana 129 one and a half miles south of Monterey at the time of the accident.

The mother was distracted by her 2-year-old child, Shelby, who was in a child seat in the front passenger’s seat, and failed to notice that the vehicle in front of her had slowed to turn into a private driveway, according to state police. The boy was killed when Morace’s vehicle skidded into the back of a 1990 Chevrolet pickup being driven by Jeffery Paul, 54, of 8607 Louisiana 129 in Monterey.

As of Thursday afternoon, state police had still not determined whether the 5-year-old was restrained at the time of the accident. Sgt. Howard McKee, public information officer for the Louisiana State Police, said the crash was still under investigation.

Sharla Morace and Shelby Morace were treated at Riverland Medical Center for minor injuries and were released Wednesday. Sharla Morace was issued a ticket for careless operation, McKee said.

Neither Jeffery Paul nor passenger Brenda Paul were injured in the accident.