6-year-old child killed in south Charlotte after car crashes through fence
A 6-year-old boy with no seatbelt and not in a carseat died Friday while riding in a speeding car that veered off a road in south Charlotte, barreled through a creek and a wooden privacy fence, then hit a large tree, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.
The child was in the front passenger seat of a Cadillac ATS driven by 24-year-old Anthony Tremane Bailey, according to CMPD. Officers issued warrants against Bailey for involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, no operator’s license and a child restraint violation, CMPD officials said in a news statement. Bailey was hospitalized, according to CMPD.
Police said the car hit a curb in the 1300 block of Runnymede Lane around 7:50 a.m. The wreck happened near the intersection of Sharon Road and Runnymede Lane, close to Myers Park, and no other vehicles were involved, according to CMPD.
The boy was taken Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center and he died at the hospital soon after the wreck, police said.
Police detectives say “speeding and inattention” by the driver contributed to the wreck. Neither Bailey nor the child were wearing a seatbelt, officers said.
All children 12 and under, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, should always ride in the backseat of vehicles. Depending on the child’s weight, a 6 year old may need a booster seat in the car, the CDC says.
Bailey was taken to the hospital in serious condition, according to police.
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 4:29 PM.