A man in Lufkin, Texas, is facing homicide charges after his 10-year-old daughter accidentally killed his stepson, 6, while moving his pickup truck at his behest.
Clinton Earl Johnson Jr., 31, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with state jail felony criminally negligent homicide in the boy’s death, KTRE-TV reported.
Angelina County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded early Sunday to a report of a vehicle crash, KTRE reported. They found a Nissan Titan wedged into the rear of a covered porch, with boards, poles, a grill, pieces of grilled chicken and other items strewn around as a result of the crash, KTRE reported, citing an affidavit. The boy was in front of the truck.
The girl had complained that the truck was in the way of her riding her tricycle, so Johnson told her to “scoot it up,” the boy’s mother said. While moving the truck, the girl “got confused and got on the gas,” the mother told police. The boy was playing with his mother’s phone on the porch when the girl came barreling through, the mom told police. Johnson told police that the girl had driven the vehicle before on back roads, KTRE noted.
The boy was rushed to a hospital in Lufkin, about 120 miles north of Houston, where he was pronounced dead, KTRE reported. Police smelled alcohol on both parents’ breath, and the two admitted they had each had three to four drinks while grilling.
the negligent homicide charge carries a potential sentence of six months to two years, plus a $10,000 fine, according to the Texas Criminal Defense Group, a legal team. The state’s minimum driving age is 15, with a learner’s license, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website states.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/05/01/texas-man-charged-10-year-old-drives-pickup-kills-boy/