CUPERTINO -- Just feet from his Cupertino home, 5-year-old Amartya Chinya was riding his scooter in a cul-de-sac Tuesday night when he was accidentally struck by a car backing up on a driveway.

He died later in the night from his injuries.

Wednesday morning, family and friends arrived at the house to pay their condolences to the boy's grieving parents. Although various aunts, uncles and family friends refused to comment out of respect for the boy's parents, Arvind Chinya, Amartya's distraught father, wanted to leave the public with a fond image of his son.

"He was loved by all, and I think he was a boy that loved life," Chinya said.

Tuesday at 7:17 p.m., Amartya was riding his scooter on Vista Court, near Stevens Creek Boulevard and De Anza Boulevard, when a Ford Focus backing out of a neighbor's driveway hit him.

According to Sgt. Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, Amaryta was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, and was conscious when paramedics arrived to transport him to the hospital. However, the sheriff's office learned at 11:45 p.m. that the boy had died from his injuries.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office was notified of the child's death, per protocol, and Cardoza said that the driver, described as a man in his 30s, has been cooperating with investigators.

"He was just a 5-year-old kid," Chinya said. "Very active, full of life. People loved him. He was not

only friends with me and my friends, he was friends with our neighbors as well."

Chinya added that his son's death should serve as a warning to parents to be careful when driving in residential areas, particularly when backing out of driveways. The family was new to the neighborhood after moving into the house just six months earlier.

"I think all I would like to say to parents is just be careful when you're backing out from your driveways," he said. "In the last six months he's been playing out here, I've never seen anything like this. It's just bad luck, but I mean things like this can be avoided. Parent's ought to be safe with kids when they're driving."

No wreath or memorial currently marks the spot of his death, though the crowd of mourners at the end of the cul-de-sac was a strong indication that Amartya will be missed.

The accident is currently being investigated by the sheriff's traffic accident reconstruction specialist team and the medical examiner's office.

Contact Mark Gomez at 408-920-5869. Follow him on Twitter @MarkMgomez