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A four-year-old boy with autism has been killed after he wandered away from his home and was hit by a car in Florence, Kentucky.
The child was identified as Jamison Beck. He died on Monday at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
Boone County Sheriff's deputies were called to a crash just before 1am on Sunday. A driver was traveling west on I-75 when she hit the child. Jamison had reportedly wandered onto the roadway from its right shoulder, WLWT reports.
Deputies said the driver noticed a car stopped in the eastbound lane with lights flashing, which caused her to slow down. The driver in the eastbound lane had passed through the area traveling west and spotted Jamison wandering unattended near the road. That driver decided to turn around and try to make contact with the child.
The woman driving westbound reportedly did not see Jamison because it was dark and the road was unlit, according to deputies.
The driver was traveling at 30mph at the time of the crash, well below the 55mph speed limit on the interstate.
The woman who hit Jamison stayed at the scene of the accident until officials arrived, deputies said. They also determined that neither speed nor substance impairment contributed to the incident. The driver and Jamison's family are cooperating with an ongoing investigation, deputies said.
No charges have been brought at this time.
Jamison, who was non-verbal and had autism, had reportedly got out of the home where his family were sleeping at a nearby apartment complex and wandered toward the road.
On Tuesday, staff at Bright Minds Early Learning Center in Erlanger held a balloon release to remember Jamison. The child had attended the daycare for three years.
The crowd that attended the gathering counted down from three before simultaneously releasing dozens of red and yellow balloons. They shouted "Jamison" as they let go of the balloons.
Nicole Carter, Jamison's mother, told WLWT that her son was "very vibrant" and that he "lit up a room."
"He laughed at everything. He was very, very sweet. Nice and vibrant and I don't want anyone to forget that about his personality," she said.
Jamison's teacher, Tyrine Englemon, told the broadcaster he was "always ready to learn."
His family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for the child's funeral expenses. It had raised nearly $9,000 on Wednesday.
"Never in a million years did we think we would have lost our baby so soon but we will come together as a family and comfort one another through this trying time," the family said on the fundraiser page.
