6-year-old killed in Pacific Beach hit-run was ‘confident, fearless, full of zest for life’

A 6-year-old boy who was struck and killed in a hit-and-run collision as he rode his bicycle in Pacific Beach over the weekend was remembered by his family’s supporters as “vibrant, curious, and deeply loved.”

Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin was struck as he crossed an alley on Pacific Beach Drive just west of Ingraham Street about 3:45 p.m. Saturday, according to authorities.

According to San Diego police, the child was knocked off his bike. The driver “stopped for several seconds before accelerating rapidly,” heading south down the alley, police said in a news release. As the driver moved forward, the vehicle ran over the child, police said.

The driver fled. Hudson was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Within hours, the vehicle believed to have hit the child was found in National City, and its suspected driver was arrested, police said. Police did not release the name of the suspected driver, a 32-year-old woman. Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the collision, police said.

A GoFundMe to raise money for Hudson’s family said Hudson was “vibrant, curious and deeply loved.” It also described the boy, who went to school in North Park, as a “bright, curious child who loved all things science, and his energy was contagious.”

“One of the sweetest memories his mom holds close is how, as soon as the sun came up, Hudson would come into her room to ask for cuddles,” it reads. “Those quiet, loving moments were a daily reminder of the deep bond they shared.”

In a Facebook post Monday, Hudson’s mother, Juliana Kapovich, wrote that her son had “a rare audacity — confident, fearless, full of zest for life.”

“While Hudson’s mind was always racing, his curiosity taught all of us to slow down,” she wrote. “To pause and examine leaves, bugs, lizards, and the quiet mechanisms of nature. He wanted to understand how everything worked. And in watching him, we were reminded to see the beauty in the smallest details.”