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A devastating incident unfolded in Louisiana when a grandmother was taken into custody on Wednesday after allegedly causing the tragic death of her 5-year-old grandson in an impaired driving accident.
Kristen Anders, aged 55 and hailing from Slidell, faces charges of vehicular homicide, as confirmed by the local police department. In a somber twist, she was released on a $50,000 cash surety bond.
The unsettling event occurred just after 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Officers from the Slidell Police Department were dispatched to the 300 block of Spartan Loop following reports of a vehicle striking a young child in a residential driveway.
Details from the investigation revealed that young Carson Lawson, aged 5, was standing in front of his grandmother’s 2016 GMC Yukon, which was parked in the driveway, as he awaited his school bus. It was then that the tragic incident occurred, with Anders allegedly running over her grandson.
Slidell Police Chief Daniel Seuzeneau publicly acknowledged the heartbreaking loss, underscoring the deep impact of the accident that claimed the life of the young boy on that morning.
Anders was not aware Lawson was outside at the time of the crash, and immediately stopped the car when she realized she hit something, Slidell Police Chief Daniel Seuzeneau said during a news conference.
It is unclear if Lawson was standing or sitting in front of the car before the incident.
Seuzeneau confirmed the 5-year-old had two siblings that went to the same school, who were “in the vicinity” during the tragedy.
Kristen Anders, 55, is charged with vehicular homicide, according to police. (Slidell Police Department)
Police noted she “exhibited signs of impairment” immediately following the crash, and officers determined she was under the influence of alcohol and central nervous system depressants.
“I spoke with the victim’s mother several times today, and there isn’t anything that I can say to make her feel any better, or make this situation better,” Seuzeneau said.
Kristen Anders is accused of being drunk when she allegedly ran over her young grandson. (Slidell Police Department)
“All we can do is pray for peace. I just want everybody to understand that this is a very tragic situation for this family, because not only do they lose their precious 5-year-old child, they’re also having to deal with the fact that the grandmother is now under arrest for this incident,” he added. “It makes a bad situation worse. We can all cast judgment and come to our own conclusions, but nobody, I mean nobody, wins in this case.”
The St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office did not immediately respond to additional inquiries from Fox News Digital.