Toddler killed in tragic accident in Owyhee County

A 16-month-old Grand View toddler was killed in a tragic accident Saturday when she was kicked by a horse.

Danielle "Danny" L. Hall, daughter of Arron and Sarah Hall, died later that day at the neo-natal intensive care unit at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center.

The child was with her parents who were weaning cattle off Dunkin Butte Road near Grasmere. The family had stopped to take a break when the child, who had only recently learned to walk, suddenly ran around a pick-up truck, startling the horse, which gave a short, quick kick to the child's face, causing severe head trauma.

"Children that age can sometimes just bolt on you," said Owyhee County Sheriff Daryl Crandall, who indicated the child had been under close supervision at the time of the incident. "It wasn't the mother's fault, or the horses fault, or anyone's fault."

But, he said, "it is just gut wrenching" when an accident claims the life of a young child.

The family immediately put the child in their vehicle and began heading for help. They flagged down another vehicle along the way, whose driver had a cell phone, and called 911. The call was received at about 2:48 p.m.

A sheriff's deputy and an EMT who arrived on the scene performed CPR on the child, Crandall said, and were able to resuscitate her.

She was taken by air ambulance from the scene to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and later transferred to the neo-natal unit at St. Luke's, where she died shortly after 11:30 p.m. that night.

Crandall said the child's father, who is the manager of Commercial Tire in Mountain Home, is a member of the Sho-Pi tribe at Duck Valley Indian Reservation. "We tried very hard to respect the tribal concerns, to make sure all rights, privileges and traditions were adhered to," he said, concerning how the matter was handled by authorities.

In addition to her parents, Danielle is survived by sisters SaKota, Allison and KayLoni Hall.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at the Grand View Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A second funeral service will be held in Owyhee, Nev., at 3 p.m. at the Human Development Center and burial will follow at the New Cemetery in Owyhee.

A memorial fund in her name has been created through Home Federal Bank.