So Sad.

6-year-old boy dies in accident

In Jonesboro Arkansas


By Stan Mitchell and Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO — A 6-year-old died after his mother’s car ran over him in front of Fox Meadow Elementary on Tuesday, authorities said.

Tavien William Epley, a kindergartner, died at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital shortly before 11 a.m., police said.

Tavien’s mother, Fallow Nicole Jenkins, 24, pulled up in front of the school to let him out of her car Tuesday morning, Nettleton Superintendent James Dunivan said.

“Somehow the child got caught on the car or didn’t get out all the way,” Dunivan said. “The child was injured by the car — fatally injured. He didn’t get far enough away from the car.”

“The child was holding onto the door handle,” Jonesboro Police Patrolman Arnold Weaver reported. “When the mother started to drive off, the child started yelling. The child was then dragged on the asphalt for several feet before the mother had noticed the child.”

Emergency officials were called to the school, 2305 Fox Meadow Lane, at 8:02 a.m. Police do not anticipate charges being filed against Jenkins, 3716 Keely Cove, Jonesboro, who was driving a 4-door 2008 Pontiac.

“This is every school’s nightmare to have a student fatally injured at school,” Dunivan said. “We are deeply saddened.”

District policy requires that kindergarten students be released from vehicles at the back of the school where they are met by a teacher who escorts them into the building, Dunivan said, adding that school officials are investigating the reason for Epley being dropped off in front of the building.

“We don’t know if he was late for school or what,” Dunivan said. “If a child is late for school, the parent is supposed to park and walk the child into the building.”

Dunivan described Epley as a very energetic and bright child.

“He never met a stranger. He had many friends and was just a great kid,” Dunivan said.

Fox Meadow, with its student body of 525, was put on about a half-hour lock-down, the superintendent said, because school officials wanted to keep the youngsters inside following the incident.

Communications

Dunivan stressed that educators wanted to maintain communication with the Nettleton community and Jonesboro as a whole following the child’s death.

Dunivan said his staff was “calm and collected” throughout the ordeal.

Linda Graham, Nettleton Crisis Team coordinator, organized the inside team and grief counselors from outside the building and outside the Nettleton community. Graham spent time with Tavien’s family at the hospital and with students, teachers and staff at the school.

Crisis counselors must act “very gently” when dealing with youngsters, she said.
“Every human being reacts to situations differently, depending on the age of the child,” Graham explained. “It’s an ongoing process. It won’t end today, and it won’t end tomorrow.”

Crisis team members and counselors met with students and teachers at the school early in the day. Dunivan said crisis counselors would be at the school from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday to meet with teachers, parents and students.

Jonesboro Police Chief Mike Yates ordered officers involved to meet with the department chaplain, Mike Martin, who also visited the school Tuesday.

In addition, printed statements, explaining the incident, were distributed to students to take home to parents.

The district posted a statement on its Web site early Tuesday and notified local media in an effort to keep the lines of communication open.

“Our prayers and support are for the family in this time of loss,” Dunivan said.

“Our prayers should be with the family and those associated with the public school who had direct and indirect contact with the incident,” said Nettleton School Board director Dr. Rick Stripling. “The district staff is doing everything possible to assist in communicating the actual situation, as well as working through the grief process.”