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A 2-year-old boy, widely known on TikTok as "Okay Baby", has died in a car crash.
Preston Ordone, from Slidell, Louisiana, gained an audience on social media where he appeared in videos with his family.
The toddler got the name "Okay Baby" as he would excitedly say "Okay!" in response to instructions to be careful, and would then humourously defy his parents' demands, such as splashing and sliding in muddy puddles.
Louisiana State Police shared the heartbreaking news on Thursday (April 24) that Preston had been killed after the vehicle he was travelling in, a 2011 Ford F-150, with his parents Katelynn and Jaelen Ordone, "veered off the roadway to the right and struck a tree".
The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
Katelynn and Jaelan were properly restrained, suffered serious injuries and were transported to local hospitals, the release stated.
Preston, was reported to have been “improperly restrained in a child safety seat” in the back of the car. He was taken to the hospital with sustained critical injuries, where he later died.
@kate_ordone He indeed was NOT careful…. #LiveOutlandish #kidtok #toddlersoftiktok #toddlerboys #adrenalinejunkies #daredeviledit #fyp #trending
However, the Ordone family has disputed LSP's claim that Preston was "improperly restrained in a child safety seat".
Glen Norris, Preston's grandfather, spoke to Nola.com via phone from Lakeview Hospital and said Preston was properly restrained and claimed a witness who helped remove Preston from the crashed vehicle confirmed this. He added that LSP's post was "hurtful and painful."
LSP has since added a statement in the comment section underneath its original Facebook post.
"We do not do this with the intention of causing embarrassment, anguish, or anger. Our goal is never to add to the pain, but rather to fulfill our responsibility in this age of information," it read and noted their aim was to "raise awareness" about how to prevent similar deaths in future.
The police continued: "Louisiana law requires all occupants, regardless of seating position, to be properly restrained at all times. The proper use of seat belts and child safety seats can be the difference between life and death."
In an update to Katelynn's TikTok page, family friends Carson and Brielle Matranga shared the latest updates to the creator's 465,000 followers on the devastating news.
“Their truck veered to the right off the interstate and struck a tree and unfortunately Preston didn’t make it," Brielle said.
@kate_ordone This is the hardest post we could possibly make, finding words is still so hard.. We hope that you can help our family in any way possible in this hard time. It still feels so unreal… All your prayers, love and support is needed and appreciated. Thank you. #OkayBabyForever
"Katelynn and Jaelen are severely injured," she added. "Katelynn has multiple broken bones. She had a very bad concussion. She walked for the first time today. Jaelen had to have emergency surgery on one of his legs. He has rods, pins in them. They’re both at different hospitals."
Brielle also confirmed that Katelynn and Jaelen's daughter, Paisley Anne, wasn't in the vehicle at the time.
Tributes have been flooding in for Preston as viewers shared their sadness over the toddler's death and sent their prayers and well wishes to the rest of the family.
One person wrote: "Rest in peace OkayBaby. My heart is shattered. Condolences to you all."
"Rest in peace baby Preston ..sending prayers to family. We will miss our OKAY BABY," a second person said.
A third person added: "My heart aches for you all. Preston was such a light in this world and I am truly praying for your family in this time of grief as well as praying for Katelynn and Jaelan road to recovery."
"When one mama cries we all cry. RIP sweet Preston aka “Okay Baby” you will be missed so much. We will miss your videos and interviews. I am so sorry you were taken so soon. I am so heart broken," a fourth person commented.
Someone else replied: "Oooh baby Preston. I hope he finds the biggest puddles in heaven."
A GoFundMe page has since been set up in order to help the Ordone family with their medical expenses. At the time of writing, $39,642 of the $50,000 target has been raised so far.
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