On Friday morning, two boys in different states were struck down by passing vehicles while waiting at their bus stops. Craig M. Little, Jr., 7, was hit by an SUV in Berkeley County, South Carolina, and later died, while Donald R. Tipton, 15, died at the scene after being hit by a DWI suspect in St. Clair, Missouri.
Sgt. Al Nothum, spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said the accident occurred just before 7:10 a.m., when the driver of a 2006 Toyota Scion TC lost control of the car and veered off to the right side of the road, hitting Tipton and a mailbox before flipping the vehicle. The MSHP Crash Report said Ethan Humphries, 23, of Lonedell, was driving too fast for conditions.
Nothum told the local station that Humphries has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. He also said the MSHP is seeking charges of reckless driving and manslaughter against both people involved in the crash.
The driver suffered major injuries while a passenger has moderate injuries, according to the crash report.
“The child wasn’t doing anything wrong,” stated Sgt. Nothum. “The child was not in the roadway. This driver lost control of the vehicle and I think just went off the side of the road.”
In South Carolina, neighbors who witnessed the fatal accident said Little was struck by a maroon SUV on a road where speeding is often a problem.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.
