CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. -- The Kent County Sheriff’s Office says additional charges may be sought after a child was fatally struck by a vehicle in Cedar Springs.
This is an update to the original report.
It happened on Friday just after 4 p.m. on Darcy Circle N.E., which is near 16 Mile Road and Northland Drive in the Northland Estates.
KCSO deputes, Michigan State Police troopers and paramedics were dispatched on a report of a child who had been struck by a pickup truck. KCSO said the emergency crews arrived quickly and began life-saving measures, but it was to no avail: the three-year-old died from the injuries.
After an on-scene investigation by the KCSO Traffic Safety Unit & Investigative Division, police say the driver of the pickup truck was arrested. They said the 33-year-old Cedar Springs man – a father figure to the child – was allegedly driving recklessly at the time of the crash. Police said the man is the fiance of the child's mother.
He was arrested and booked into the Kent County Correctional Facility. Investigators said they believe alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. The man’s name has not been released yet, pending formal charges (arraignment).
The KCSO added some additional thoughts in a news release:
Our thoughts are with the child’s family, loved ones, and the community during this incredibly difficult time. Incidents involving children are especially difficult for everyone involved, and we also recognize the police, firefighters, EMS personnel, and dispatchers who responded and worked this tragic scene.
The investigation remains ongoing.
If you have information that could help to move the investigation forward, please call the KCSO at 616-632-6125, or submit a tip online at Kentcountymi.gov/tips
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It marks the second time in less than five months that a child was struck and killed by a vehicle in the Cedar Springs area. On November 23rd, a five-year-old child was hit by a pickup truck on Lady Lauren Drive. In that incident, police say the child was hit when the pickup rounded a bend in the road.
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