Texas — According to police, a Texas man is in jail after his 10-year-old daughter drove his truck at his direction and struck and killed his 6-year-old stepson.
According to jail records, 31-year-old Clinton Earl Johnson Jr. is charged with criminal negligent homicide in the fatal incident that occurred on Sunday afternoon in Lufkin, a city in the far east part of Texas.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by local ABC affiliate KTRE, Johnson was grilling outside with his family. The girl was riding a tricycle, and the boy sat on the porch, playing on his mother’s phone.
The girl’s mother told investigators that Johnson’s truck was blocking her from riding her tricycle, so he allegedly told her to “scoot it up.” Her mother later claimed that the girl “got confused and hit the gas,” causing the truck to slam into the porch.
Deputies from the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene and discovered several boards and poles on the ground.
The boy was also on the ground in front of the pickup truck.
Paramedics rushed the unidentified boy to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Johnson reportedly told cops that the girl had driven the truck on back roads before. Deputies also reported smelling alcohol on Johnson and the mother, who admitted to having three or four drinks each.
Police took Johnson to Angelina County Jail, where he has since posted a $3,000 bond. It’s unclear whether he’s hired an attorney or when he’ll next appear in court.
