In a tragic incident in North Carolina, a 7-year-old boy was fatally hit by a car while walking home from a grocery store with his older brother. The parents of the deceased child, Legend Jenkins, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child neglect, both felonies, for allowing their children to walk home unsupervised.
The incident occurred last Tuesday in Gastonia when Legend ran into the path of an oncoming jeep driven by a 76-year-old woman. According to the Gastonia Police Department, the boy’s mother, Jessica Ivey, had permitted her sons to walk to the nearby grocery store alone for the first time.
The parents, Jessica Ivey and Samuele Jenkins, were arrested on Thursday. They were denied the opportunity to attend their son’s funeral and were held on a $1.5 million bond, the highest possible amount.
The Gastonia Police Department expressed its deepest sympathies to the family but emphasized the importance of adult supervision for children. The department’s statement read, “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.”
The driver of the jeep will not face any charges as the police found no evidence of speeding or any other wrongdoing on her part. A witness to the accident, Summer Williams, recounted that the boy was hit after he darted out into the street while his brother tried to hold him back. Williams, who held the dying boy in her arms until help arrived, said she still sees his face even at night.
Williams tried to comfort the young boy as they waited for emergency responders to arrive. She recalled telling him, “Stay with us, sweetheart. You’re going to be all right. Stay with us.” Unfortunately, Legend succumbed to his injuries at the hospital hours later.