Local

5-year-old struck, killed by car while trick-or-treating

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb police do not plan to charge the driver of a minivan that struck and killed a child trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

Investigators said 5-year-old Autumn Mack died when she darted out from behind her mother's SUV and into the path of an oncoming minivan.

"She took off running, and it was going to hit her, and I heard this loud boom," said Mack's mother Yolanda Jones.  "She didn't scream.  She didn't cry. I told her her mommy and daddy loves her so much."

Jones described her daughter as a joyous little girl who always tried to make others happy and loved to dress up as a princess like she did Halloween night.

"She was a loving, happy baby," said Jones.  "She loved to sing.  She loved to dance.  She made everybody happy.  She was a little angel."

Sandra Young is the minivan driver's sister and lived right across the street from where the accident happened.  She saw everything.

"The little girl was across the street with her mom," said Young.  "The other little girls told her to come across the street, and her mom told her to wait, but she was just excited, I guess.  She really didn't hear her."

Young said her sister and the entire family are having a hard time dealing with the tragedy even though they know it wasn't her fault.

"We know, we know," said Young.  "But it's still the idea of a life that young is gone. So it's kind of hard on us.  Nobody slept last night.  She's just taking it very hard."

Jones said the family has set up the Autumn Saniya Mack Memorial Fund at any Wells Fargo bank branch to help pay the costs of a funeral.