A 17-month-old boy died this morning after he was struck by a sport utility vehicle backing out of the carport of a home on Kepue Street in Makaha, police said.

Police Lt. David Nilsen said a 49-year-old woman, believed to be the boy’s aunt, was driving the Toyota Highlander that hit the toddler.

Harry Josiah, who lives across the street, said he woke up "to a bunch of screaming."

Josiah said he saw the mother holding the baby, who was limp in her arms.

While the toddler was in critical condition, paramedics were able to stabilize him and take him to a Honolulu trauma center, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Department of Emergency Services.

The boy was pronounced dead at 9:46 a.m.

The crash happened at about 7:47 a.m. at 84-588 Kepue St.

Police do not believe speed, drugs, or alcohol were factors.

It’s the third time in the past year that a toddler has died after being hit by a vehicle backing up in a driveway.

A similar incident happened on Aug. 31 in Waialua. A Ford F-150 truck driven by a 29-year-old Waianae man struck a 19-month-old Tayzah Kekumu as the truck was backed up in a driveway.

The girl was taken in critical condition to Wahiawa General Hospital, where she died.

On Dec. 16, 2009, 1-year-old Ezekiel Estocado died after he was hit by a sport utility vehicle backing out of a driveway in Kahaluu.