Parents charged after their child is killed while trying to cross the street, police say “adults must be held accountable.”

GASTONIA, N.C. – Two parents in Gastonia are facing charges after their 7-year-old son was hit and killed by a driver. The crash happened Tuesday evening on West Hudson Boulevard. According to police, a 76-year-old woman driving a Jeep Cherokee hit the child as he was crossing the street with his 10-year-old brother.

A neighbor tells WCCB that she has also been hit in that same area. Carly Cureton says, “It’s a very highly busy area. I’ve been hit several times coming out of here. I truly believe there needs to be either another traffic stop or more stop signs or something. But there’s constantly people speeding up and down this road, especially with a lot of people that do walk in this area.”

Jessica Ivey and Samuele Jenkins are facing charges in connection with their child’s death. Gastonia Police says they charged the parents because the child was unsupervised when he stepped into traffic. Police say that adults must be held accountable to “ensure a safe environment for their children.” The parents’ charges include involuntary manslaughter and felony child neglect.