The parents of a 7-year-old boy who was deadly struck by a car in North Carolina are accused of involuntary manslaughter because he only let him and his brother walk home from a supermarket.
Little legend Jenkins was in Gastonia last Tuesday with his 10-year-old brother when he met the traffic and was hit by a jeep driven by a 76-year-old woman, according to the Gastonia police.
His mother, Jessica Ivey, told WSCOC It was the first time she allowed her sons to walk to the nearby supermarket.
Ivey and the father of the boys, Samual Jenkins, were arrested on Thursday and each accused of involuntary manslaughter and neglect of children, both crimes.
They were given permission to attend their son’s funeral, instead they were beaten with a bond of $ 1.5 million, the highest possible.
“While the Gastonia police offer its deepest sympathies for the family for the heartbreaking loss of their child, the investigation showed that the children involved were without supervision when the boy stepped into traffic,” the police said in a statement.
“In such cases, adults must be held responsible for their responsibilities to guarantee a safe environment for their children.”
The driver will not be charged because the police have not found any evidence of speed or misconduct on its part.
A witness to the deadly crash, Summer Williams, said the boy was hit after he had taken the street while his brother tried to stop him. She immediately stopped her car and kept the dying boy in her arms.
“Even at night I still see his face,” the witness recalled.
She said she rubbed him and tried to comfort the 7-year-old while they waited for the respondents to arrive.
“Just let him know that there was someone and he was not alone. Stay with us, sweetheart. You’re in order. Stay with us,” said Williams.
The legend died of his injuries in the hospital hours later.
