CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An 11-year-old is dead and four others are seriously hurt after a crash in a south Charlotte neighborhood Saturday afternoon, Medic said.
Medic confirmed it responded to a crash near Sharon View Road and Chadwick Place, just off Colony Road around Noon.
A total of five people were taken to the hospital, Medic said. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department later confirmed a the child was pronounced dead by hospital staff.
The child was a student at Carmel Middle School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools confirmed to WCNC Charlotte. Counselors will be at the school to speak with students and staff.
The 11-year-old child was riding in a vehicle with her mother when their vehicle crossed over the center line and collided with another vehicle head-on, according to CMPD. The child died as a result of the crash and the mother suffered serious injuries.
An adult and child riding in the other car suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to CMPD.
Sharon View Road between Chadwick Place and Beckford Drive was closed for several hours because of the investigation, according to CMPD.
Karen Farst, a neighbor in the area, said she heard a "huge bump" on Saturday at the time of the crash.
Ellen Yingling also lives nearby and said drivers along the road don't tend to follow the speed limit.
"We walk out here regularly, our kids ride their bikes out here," she told WCNC Charlotte. "The speed limit is 35 - no one really ever goes 35."
Farst lamented the child's passing.
"They just don't understand what it's like. In a split second, the person you love most is gone," she said.
CMPD has said that speed was not a factor in this crash and they do not believe the driver was impaired.
The investigation into this crash is active and ongoing. As additional information develops, it will be released by the CMPD’s Public Affairs Division. Any person who witnessed the crash or has information about this crash is asked to call Detective Worthy at 704-432-2169, extension 4. The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/. For additional information about this crash, please refer to the report: 20240907-1147-01.