Tragic Incident: Drunk Driver Fatally Hits Toddler Who Wandered Into Street, Police Report

A man from South Carolina, aged 62, faces serious allegations after reportedly striking a toddler with his truck while under the influence of alcohol. The tragic incident occurred when the young boy managed to slip out the back door of his family’s restaurant and into the street.

The accused, David Ronald Metz, has been apprehended and charged with a felony for DUI resulting in death, as per official records.

Authorities received reports of a pedestrian incident around 8:15 p.m. on April 13, in the vicinity of El Latino Bar and Grill on South Murray Avenue. A Spartanburg CBS affiliate WSPA report detailed that emergency responders found the child critically injured at the scene. Despite being rushed to a hospital, the child succumbed to his injuries.

The Anderson County Coroner’s Office identified the young victim as 14-month-old Christopher Rodrigo Perez Tapia. They concluded that he died from multiple severe injuries, ruling the death as accidental, according to Greenville NBC affiliate WYFF.

Investigation findings revealed that the boy’s parents were tidying up their restaurant post-closing when the father went outside to dispose of trash, unaware that his son had trailed behind him. The toddler then wandered onto the street, where he was tragically hit by Metz’s vehicle, as confirmed by the coroner’s office and reported by local Fox affiliate WHNS.

Witnesses and investigators said the crash unfolded quickly, leaving little time for intervention once the toddler entered the street. Following the collision, Metz allegedly continued driving before turning around and returning to the scene.

Officials emphasized that impairment contributed to the crash.

“Yes, the child was in the roadway when he was hit. But at the same time, if the driver would not have been under the influence, he may, could have reacted a little bit quicker and switched lanes,” Alyssa Whitfield of the coroner’s office told WYFF.

Authorities said the incident remains under investigation by the Anderson Police Department with assistance from the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

During a bond hearing, a judge set bail at $60,000 and ordered Metz to wear a GPS monitoring device if released, while also prohibiting him from contacting the victim’s family or returning to the business where the crash occurred, the Anderson Independent Mail reported. The toddler’s family did not attend the bond hearing, reportedly having a victim’s advocate from the police department appear on their behalf. The advocate requested that Metz be held without bond.

“The family is devastated,” Anderson Police Detective McKindra Bibb said, according to the same report. “They are unable to even pull it together enough to come to court this afternoon. It’s been less than 24 hours since their baby died.”

Defense attorney Austin McDaniel reportedly told the court his client had deep ties to the community and no prior convictions, asserting that those factors supported bond. He also expressed sympathy for the victim’s family.

Metz is scheduled to appear in court on June 11 as investigators continue to review the circumstances of the crash.