A 7-year-old boy died crossing the street. His parents are being charged.
A 7-year-old boy died crossing the street. His parents are being charged. The accused parents remain in the custody of the Gaston County Jail with $1.5 million bonds, according to inmate records.
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Parents in North Carolina were arrested after allegedly leaving their 7-year-old son unsupervised when he was fatally struck by a car while trying to cross the street, police said.
Gastonia police said on May 29 that Jessica Ivey and Samuele Jenkins have been charged with felony involuntary manslaughter, felony child neglect, and misdemeanor child neglect. The incident involving the parents' young son occurred around 5:55 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, according to the department.
Officers responded to the scene after receiving a report about a traffic collision, and upon their arrival, they found that a Jeep Cherokee had hit the 7-year-old boy, police said. The 76-year-old driver of the vehicle was traveling east when she struck the child, the department added.
The police's preliminary investigation determined that the child was attempting to cross the street outside of a crosswalk with another young boy, age 10, when he entered the roadway and was hit, the department said. The boy was taken to a medical center with life-threatening injuries and later transferred to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead around 10:00 p.m., according to police.
More news: A mom has been charged with her son's death. She says God told her to 'exorcise demons'.
'Adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities'
As Gastonia police offered "its deepest sympathies to the family for the heartbreaking loss of their child," the department said its investigation revealed that the boy was unsupervised at the time he stepped into traffic.
"In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children," police said.
No charges have been filed against the driver of the Jeep Cherokee after no evidence of speeding or wrongdoing on her part was found, police said, adding that the woman continues to be cooperative. The incident remains under active investigation, according to the department.
Both Ivey and Jenkins remain in the custody of the Gaston County Jail with $1.5 million bonds, according to inmate records.
Anyone who witnessed the deadly crash or may have relevant information can contact Corporal Carpenter with the Gastonia Police Department at 704-866-6702.
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.
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