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Police officer drove into 4-year-old in a North Carolina crosswalk, troopers say

A Statesville Police officer was charged after driving into a 4-year-old boy who was hit while walking in a crosswalk, Master Trooper Jeffrey Swagger of the State Highway Patrol said Thursday night.

Officer A.E. Kestler was charged with failing to yield the right of way to a pedestrian in the Nov. 7 collision with Bowman Harbin of Statesville, according to the trooper. The child suffered minor injuries, Swagger said.

The child waited for a traffic signal to change before entering the crosswalk on South Center Street (N.C. 115) at East Broad Street in Statesville about 8:30 that night, according to Swagger.

Kestler hit the child after turning left into the crosswalk once the signal turned to green, the trooper said. Iredell County EMS responded to the scene. The officer was not hurt, Swagger said.

An adult accompanied the child into the crosswalk, Swagger told The Charlotte Observer. The adult was not injured.

This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 7:51 PM.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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