Latest news with #WSOC
Miami Herald
7 days ago
- Climate
- Miami Herald
Lightning strike sends bride scrambling during photo shoot, NC photographer says
A lightning strike sent a bride scrambling during a photo shoot in North Carolina. 'Once the initial strike happened and we immediately fell to the ground, my first instinct was we got to get out of there,' Katie McDaniel, who had been posing for pictures before her upcoming wedding, told WCNC. 'I thought the tree was going to fall when the lightning struck it. I heard the cracking.' McDaniel told the TV station she thinks the lightning sent a current through the tree's roots, jolting the people in her group. The ordeal happened at Carver's Gap, near the North Carolina-Tennessee border and a roughly 65-mile drive northeast from Asheville. Photographer Brianna Pendley said skies were blue when the group of four ventured up Roan Mountain on June 27. Then it started to rain and hail, forcing everyone to seek cover, according to a Facebook post. 'Within literal milliseconds we were on the ground screaming because (lightning) had struck the tree/ground that we were under,' Pendley wrote. 'I felt the electricity in my feet and legs, and saw smoke coming from the ground so I knew it wasn't good.' After the lightning came out of the sky with 'no warning,' the dirt-covered group scurried down the mountain to safety, Pendley wrote on social media and told WSOC. 'At the bottom we ran into a bunch of people, some who said they seen the (lightning) strike where we were and heard the crying and screaming and were concerned,' the photographer wrote. 'We all ended up in the ER getting tests done and hooked to monitors.' No serious injuries were reported. Pendley said she feels 'blessed to live to tell about' the frightening moments. 'Yesterday was literally the scariest day of my life, hands down,' she wrote June 28. Pendley and McDaniel didn't immediately respond to McClatchy News' requests for comment on July 3. When thunderstorms hit, experts urge people to head inside immediately. If that's not possible, it's recommended to go to an area with lower elevation, avoid sheltering under isolated trees and get out of bodies of water, according to the National Weather Service.
Global News
05-06-2025
- Global News
Parents charged with involuntary manslaughter after son, 7, killed by car in N.C.
The parents of a seven-year-old boy who was fatally hit by a car while crossing the street with an older child have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and remain in prison on a $1.5 million bond, according to police. The child was struck and killed by a Jeep Cherokee being driven by a 76-year-old female in Gastonia, a city west of Charlotte, N.C., on May 27, authorities confirmed in a statement. The incident occurred just before 6:00 p.m. while the boys were walking without an adult present. 'The preliminary investigation revealed that the child was attempting to cross the street outside of a crosswalk with another juvenile male, aged 10, when he entered the roadway and was hit,' police said. After sustaining life-threatening injuries, the child was transported to CaroMont Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte. Story continues below advertisement 'Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead near 10:00 p.m.,' police confirmed. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Following the incident, the deceased's parents, Jessica Ivey and Samuele Jenkins, were charged with felony involuntary manslaughter, felony child neglect and misdemeanour child neglect. The parents' bond was set at $1.5 million during a court appearance on Friday, online records show. Both remain in custody in Gaston County Jail and have yet to enter a plea to the charges. Ivey's public defender told ABC News he has no comment this early in the case. Meanwhile, Jenkins' lawyer told the outlet he was appointed to the case on Wednesday and had not received any legal documents yet. Police said its initial investigation revealed that the children involved were unsupervised at the time the boy stepped into traffic. Story continues below advertisement 'In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children,' police wrote, adding that there is currently no evidence indicating that the driver was speeding or in violation of traffic laws when the child was hit. Police have not released the boy's name, though his parents said in an interview with WSOC before their arrests that his name was Legend, and that the child with him was his older brother. His father told WSOC that he was on the phone with his eldest son at the time of the incident, and that he 'just ran' when he heard him yelling. Shortly before the accident, the family had been in a food line close to their home and where the young boy was hit. Their mother said the boys asked if they could go to the Subway next door and then make the two-block walk home afterwards. Legend was killed on that short walk home. No charges have been filed against the driver, who police say remains cooperative in the investigation.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Yahoo
Parents are charged after their son, 7, is struck dead in a car accident
The grieving parents of a 7-year-old child who died hours after being hit by a car were charged with involuntary manslaughter after allowing him and his brother, 10, to walk home unaccompanied by an adult from a nearby grocery store. Jessica Ivey and Samuele Jenkins were charged two days after their son Legend died from injuries caused by being struck by a Jeep on May 27 in Gastonia, a rural town in North Carolina. The 76-year-old driver will not face any charges. The Food Lion store is two blocks away from their home. The parents said the children were with their mother when they asked to meet their father at the store, and she allowed them to leave, according to the Gaston Gazette. The brothers had to cross the busy, four-lane road, but attempted to go between crosswalks. Witnesses told WSOC-TV Gastonia that Legend stepped into traffic as his older brother attempted to hold him back. Jenkins said he was on the phone with his elder son when the younger child was hit. 'I heard my oldest son yell, 'Legend, no!' so I hung up and ran. I just ran to find them,' he told the local television station. Two days later, Gastonia police arrested the parents, who are being held on $1.5 million bond. 'In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children,' police said in a statement. Gastonia police declined to comment to NBC News, but said in a statement that 'there is no evidence of speeding or wrongdoing on the part of the driver, therefore no charges have been filed. The driver continues to be cooperative and the incident remains under active investigation by the Gastonia Police Department's Traffic Division.' The parents' public defenders did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Ivey, the mother, said before her arrest to WSOC that it was the first time she let the children walk alone. 'It was just devastating, I'm still in shock, I'm in shock,' she said. 'It's hard, I haven't stopped crying; my husband hasn't stopped crying. Honestly, I want justice for my baby.' Summer Williams was in her car and witnessed the event. She told WSOC that Legend, apparently unaware of oncoming traffic, jumped into the street to the surprise of his brother, who tried to stop him. Williams said she comforted the child until paramedics arrived. 'Even at night, I still see his face,' she said. 'Just letting him know that somebody was there and he wasn't alone. 'Stay with us, sweetheart. You're going to be all right. Stay with us,'' Williams said she told the child. This article was originally published on
NBC News
04-06-2025
- NBC News
Parents are charged after their son, 7, is struck dead in a car accident
The grieving parents of a 7-year-old child who died hours after being hit by a car were charged with involuntary manslaughter after allowing him and his brother, 10, to walk home unaccompanied by an adult from a nearby grocery store. Jessica Ivey and Samuele Jenkins were charged two days after their son Legend died from injuries caused by being struck by a Jeep on May 27 in Gastonia, a rural town in North Carolina. The 76-year-old driver will not face any charges. The Food Lion store is two blocks away from their home. The parents said the children were with their mother when they asked to meet their father at the store, and she allowed them to leave, according to the Gaston Gazette. The brothers had to cross the busy, four-lane road, but attempted to go between crosswalks. Witnesses told WSOC-TV Gastonia that Legend stepped into traffic as his older brother attempted to hold him back. Jenkins said he was on the phone with his elder son when the younger child was hit. 'I heard my oldest son yell, 'Legend, no!' so I hung up and ran. I just ran to find them,' he told the local television station. Two days later, Gastonia police arrested the parents, who are being held on $1.5 million bond. 'In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children,' police said in a statement. Gastonia police declined to comment to NBC News, but said in a statement that 'there is no evidence of speeding or wrongdoing on the part of the driver, therefore no charges have been filed. The driver continues to be cooperative and the incident remains under active investigation by the Gastonia Police Department's Traffic Division.' The parents' public defenders did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Ivey, the mother, said before her arrest to WSOC that it was the first time she let the children walk alone. 'It was just devastating, I'm still in shock, I'm in shock,' she said. 'It's hard, I haven't stopped crying; my husband hasn't stopped crying. Honestly, I want justice for my baby.' Summer Williams was in her car and witnessed the event. She told WSOC that Legend, apparently unaware of oncoming traffic, jumped into the street to the surprise of his brother, who tried to stop him. Williams said she comforted the child until paramedics arrived. 'Even at night, I still see his face,' she said. 'Just letting him know that somebody was there and he wasn't alone. 'Stay with us, sweetheart. You're going to be all right. Stay with us,'' Williams said she told the child.
04-06-2025
Parents charged with manslaughter after their 7-year-old son fatally struck by car in North Carolina
The parents of a 7-year-old boy who was fatally struck by a car while trying to cross a street in North Carolina have been charged with manslaughter and remain in jail on $1.5 million bond, police said. The child was hit by a Jeep Cherokee on May 27 in Gastonia, located west of Charlotte, police said. He was attempting to cross the street outside of a crosswalk with a 10-year-old boy when the crash occurred, according to the Gastonia Police Department. He suffered life-threatening injuries and died at a hospital. His parents -- Jessica Ivey, 30, and Samuele Jenkins, 31 -- were charged two days after the deadly collision with felony involuntary manslaughter, felony child neglect and misdemeanor child neglect, police said. The parents said the older child was the boy's brother, ABC Charlotte affiliate WSOC reported. The Gastonia Police Department said in a press release that its investigation "revealed that the children involved were unsupervised at the time the boy stepped into traffic." "In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children," the department added. A judge set the parents' bond at $1.5 million during a court appearance on Friday. They remain in custody in the Gaston County Jail, online jail records show. They have not yet entered a plea to the charges. ABC News has reached out to Ivey's public defender for comment and did not immediately receive a response. Jenkins' attorney said he was appointed to the case on Wednesday and had not received any documents yet. The 76-year-old female driver of the Jeep has not been charged, police said. "At this time, there is no evidence of speeding or wrongdoing on the part of the driver, therefore no charges have been filed," the Gastonia Police Department said. "The driver continues to be cooperative and the incident remains under active investigation by the Gastonia Police Department's Traffic Division." Police did not release the name of the boy who was fatally struck, though his parents said his first name was Legend in an interview with WSOC prior to their arrest. Ivey told the station that her two sons were walking the two blocks home from a shopping center for the first time on their own when the accident occurred, WSOC reported. "It was just devastating. I'm still in shock," she told WSOC. "It's hard. I haven't stopped crying. My husband hasn't stopped crying," she told the station. Ivey added that she wanted "justice for my baby" against the driver, whose name has not been publicly released. "I just don't feel like she should still be able to drive," Ivey told WSOC. Jenkins told WSOC he was on the phone with his sons when the crash occurred. "I heard my oldest son, he was like, 'Oh my God, Legend, no, no,'" he told the station. "So I hung up and ... I ran to find them." The parents are next scheduled to appear in court on June 20.
