The parents of a seven-year-old boy who was killed while crossing the road are facing felony charges in North Carolina.
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Parents Charged After Son Was Killed While Crossing Road
Yesterday at null
By
Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
The parents of a seven-year-old boy who died after he was hit by an SUV have been charged with involuntary manslaughter over their child's death.
The boy was crossing the street in Gastonia, North Carolina, with his 10-year-old sibling at a point without a crosswalk, when he was hit by an SUV driven by a 76-year-old female. The boy died of his injuries four hours later.
The Gastonia Police Department has been contacted via email for comment.
Jessica Ivey (left) and Samuele Jenkins (right). Gastonia Police Deptartment
Why It Matters
Police said in post on
Facebook that in such cases adults "must be held accountable." Public opinion on the charges appears to be split, some people taking to social media to praise the police department, and others saying that parents cannot be expected to look out for their children every second of the day.
What To Know
Parents, Jessica Ivey, 30, and Samuele Jenkins, 31, have been charged by the Gastonia Police Department with felony child neglect, and misdemeanor child neglect, as well as involuntary manslaughter. The driver of the vehicle involved is not being charged at this time.
Just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, officers arrived at the scene of a traffic collision to find a 7-year-old child had been struck by a
Jeep Cherokee.
The child, who has not been named by police, had life-threatening injuries and was first taken to CaroMont Regional Medical Center and then to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he died.
Police have said there is no evidence that the driver was speeding or that she committed wrongdoing, so she is not being charged at this time.
Both parents are now each on $1.5 million bail and were being held at Gaston County Jail.
Appealing for witnesses, Gastonia Police Department's Traffic Division said the driver continues to be cooperative and the incident remains under active investigation.
A study into the risks posed by cars to pedestrians conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London found that children are 82 percent more likely to be killed or seriously injured when hit by an SUV or a light truck vehicle than a smaller car.
What People Are Saying
Gastonia Police Department on Facebook: "While the Gastonia Police Department offers its deepest sympathies to the family for the heartbreaking loss of their child, the investigation revealed that the children involved were unsupervised at the time the boy stepped into traffic. In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children."
Elsa Robinson, an MSc Public Health student at LSHTM, told Carwow: "These larger vehicles are particularly dangerous for children, especially young children. Children are shorter in height and more vulnerable to being hit in critical areas such as the head or chest by a tall car's front end."
What Happens Next
Both parents are awaiting a pretrial hearing.
