DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Police in Dearborn Heights are investigating after a driver hit and killed a 12-year-old boy Friday night.
Police say around 10:30 p.m. Friday they received calls regarding a car crash near Pardee Avenue and Annapolis Street in Dearborn Heights.
Police say a driver in a black Jeep stopped at the intersection before proceeding through and hitting the 12-year-old. Police say speed or alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash.
Neighbors say as soon as police got to the scene they began doing CPR. Family identified the victim as middle school student Joseph Smith.
Smith's grandmother says he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
"I needed to come and find closure to where he lost his life," said Karen Laichalk, Smith's grandmother who returned to the scene Saturday.
Laichalk says her grandson was a happy kid who loved football. She says he played on his middle school football team and was attending a game Friday night. Laichalk says Smith left the game but returned briefly to help a friend find his phone when the crash happened.
"This boy had so much going for him and not because he was my grandson. He had such a happy outlook on life, and he loved football, why he was there last night," said an emotional Laichalk.
Neighbors say police spent the morning investigating the scene.
"There were like 4 or 5 cops around him and as soon as they arrived they started doing compressions," said Shaun McGRaw who lives next door to the accident scene.
McGraw says he's hoping the tragic accident will lead to the city cracking down on drivers near the intersection. He says people frequently speed through the area.
"I have kids of my own and I can’t even imagine that happening and I worry about it," said McGraw.
Police say the driver has been cooperative in the investigation. After reviewing the case information, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office will determine if charges are appropriate.
