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Insets: Kyle Eck and his three children. Background: The area in Washington state where Kyle Eck was allegedly mowed down by a 17-year-old hit-and-run driver as he tried pushing them to safety (KPTV/YouTube).
A tragic incident unfolded in Washington state when a 17-year-old driver hit a father and his children as they made their way home from school. Despite the accident, the teenager proceeded to work an entire shift before confessing to his mother and surrendering to authorities, according to police reports. The father, injured during the incident, recounted how he was using a crosswalk and attempted to shield his children from harm.
In a conversation with the local Fox affiliate KPTV, Kyle Eck, who sustained a traumatic brain injury requiring the removal of part of his skull, lamented the loss of a once simple routine. “Crossing the crosswalk was a part of our everyday life, but that’s changed forever,” Eck shared.
Eck expressed his reluctance to use crosswalks again, stating, “We won’t do that anymore.”
The teenager involved in the accident was operating his grandmother’s 2008 Nissan Versa when he collided with Eck and his children—aged 10, 7, and 6—while making a left turn onto Southeast 136th Avenue from Seventh Street in Vancouver, Washington, in November 2025. The family was crossing 136th Avenue when the collision occurred, and the teen left the scene, as detailed in a police press release.
“I couldn’t comprehend how someone could just drive away,” Eck’s fiancée and the children’s mother, Kaylee Johns, explained to KPTV. “Given the time of day, the driver must have known they hit someone, but not necessarily how many.”
Eck’s eldest child had one of her teeth pushed in and the 7-year-old suffered severe road rash to his face, according to the family. The 6-year-old also experienced road rash on her legs. Eck had to get a craniectomy and cranioplasty for a brain bleed, as well as a tracheostomy to help him breathe as a result of his injuries.
“We were told they didn’t know if he was going to make it,” Johns said. “It was a waiting game. With how severe his traumatic brain injury was, it didn’t look good. At times, we were told that in a couple of days we might have to make decisions.”
Court documents obtained by KPTV describe how the teen went to his job and worked an entire shift before coming home and telling his mom what happened. He allegedly turned himself in while accompanied by his family.
“We understand he’s 17,” Johns said. “Kyle will have to deal with this for the rest of his life.”
A GoFundMe launched for Eck and his family says he was in a medically induced coma following his emergency brain surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.
The teen driver’s trial is scheduled to begin on March 23.