9 year old killed by falling soccer goal

NEWTON GROVE, NC (WTVD) -- A Harnett County third grader is dead after he was hit in the head by a falling soccer goal.

It happened Sunday morning in Newton Grove - a community between Dunn and Mt. Olive.

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The family of 9-year-old Juan Escalera said he was playing soccer after church with family and friends when the goal - which was not secured to the ground - tipped over. He was taken to Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital but was pronounced dead from a head injury.

"He was my only son, and I just got three little girls and he was my only little boy," said Juan's mother Maria Escalera.

Now, his parents want others to know what happened so it doesn't happen again. They say heavy metal soccer goals are dangerous.

"Make them at least plastic or something because you can't never know what's gonna happen like what happened to my son," said Escalera.

Jaun was a third grader at Midway Elementary School in Dunn.

Escalera's funeral will be held Friday afternoon at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Newton Grove. He will be buried in the church cemetery.

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