ATLANTA,None — A man was charged after his 5-year-old was hit by a car and died while chasing him across an Atlanta street, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
The child was playing at a playground near Morgan Street and Boulevard shortly after noon on Wednesday, Atlanta police said. His father, 28-year-old Joseph Robertson, left the boy to talk to a group of friends, police said.
When the boy saw his father leave, he chased him across the street, said Atlanta police spokesman K.Y. Jones. The child was struck after he ran into the path of an oncoming sport utility vehicle, Jones said.
Father Charged After Son Struck Chasing Him
Witnesses said the driver immediately stopped and took the boy to Atlanta Medical Center. The boy was then airlifted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Emory, where he died on Friday night.
Robertson was charged with felony cruelty to children, reckless conduct and involuntary manslaughter. He was being held at the Fulton County Jail on $10,000 bond.
His lawyer, Jessica Stern, called the whole thing an unfortunate situation. She said Robertson only found that he was the boy's father two days ago.
"Mr. Robertson was there the entire time, he picked his son up in his arms. He was arrested with blood all over his shirt," Stern said.
Stern said Robertson brought his son to the park for family bonding.
WSBTV
