Sameule Jenkins and Jessica Ivey allegedly decided to let their sons, ages 7 and 10, walk home from the grocery store alone for the first time on Tuesday.
The decision proved fatal, and the parents are now in prison in North Carolina.
According to the Gastonia Police Department, officers responded shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday to a traffic accident in the 1000 block of West Hudson Boulevard, about 25 miles west of Charlotte.
When they arrived, they discovered that a 7-year-old boy later identified as Legend Jenkins had been struck by a Jeep Cherokee driven by a 76-year-old woman.
Cops later discovered Legend had run out into oncoming traffic. His older brother tried to pull him back, but it was too late; he was hit by the Jeep.
Local ABC affiliate WSOC interviewed a witness who attempted to console Legend while they waited for first responders to arrive.
“Just letting him know that somebody was there and he wasn’t alone,” Summer Williams told the outlet. “Stay with us, sweetheart.” You are going to be okay. “Please stay with us.”
Paramedics transported him to a local hospital before transferring him to a children’s hospital in Charlotte. Legend died from his injuries about four hours after the accident.
On Thursday, Jenkins and Ivey were arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter and child neglect.
“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,” the agency wrote on Facebook. “In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children.”
According to police, the driver is unlikely to face charges because there is no evidence of speeding.
Before being arrested, Ivey told the Gaston Gazette that they were shopping at a grocery store when she let the boys walk home alone. This was the first time she let them do so.
According to WSOC, both parents requested to be released from jail for their son’s funeral during their bond hearing on Friday. The judge set their bonds at $1.5 million each.
The accident has had a long-term impact on Williams.
“Even at night, I still see his face,” she replied.
