Two parents from North Carolina are facing serious charges after their 7-year-old son was tragically hit and killed by an SUV while crossing a street alone.
Jessica Ivey, 30, and Samuele Jenkins, 31, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child neglect. They were arrested on May 29 and are currently held on a bond of $1.5 million.
According to the Gastonia Police, officers responded to reports of a pedestrian accident on West Hudson Boulevard just before 6 p.m. on May 27. The boy was attempting to cross a section of the road without a crosswalk while accompanied by his 10-year-old brother when he was struck by an SUV driven by a 76-year-old woman.
Emergency services transported the child to a local hospital, and he was later moved to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, where he sadly died later that night.
Authorities emphasized that adults must take responsibility for ensuring the safety of their children. While the driver of the SUV has not been charged, the court date for Ivey and Jenkins was set for May 30.
