4-year-old dies after being hit by car in Florence

FLORENCE, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — A nonverbal child with autism has died after authorities said he wandered away from home early Sunday and was hit by a car.

According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Jamison Beck, 4, died at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on Monday.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS

• Shane’s Shack serves hope, Jamaican flavor amid Hurricane Beryl’s aftermath in the Caribbean
• PGA tournament is a hole-in-one for the Nicholasville economy
• Former Kentucky teacher sentenced for producing child pornography

Deputies said that just before 1 a.m., a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix was heading west on the Weaver Road overpass over I-75 when the child was hit.

According to BCSO, the driver noticed a car had stopped in the eastbound lane and flashed its lights, causing the driver to slow down. The stopped car had reportedly just passed through the area, noticed Beck near the roadway, and decided to stop in an attempt to make contact with him.

The sheriff’s office said the Grand Prix driver did not see the child walk into the road due to the dark conditions and unlit road. Investigations showed that the child lived in a nearby apartment complex on Mission Lane and had left home after his family had gone to sleep for the night.

The crash is still under investigation, per authorities, and speed, alcohol, or drug impairment have been ruled out as factors.

BCSO said that no charges have been filed at this time and that Beck’s family as well as the driver are all cooperating with the investigation.

The roadway remained closed for the investigation and reopened around 2:50 a.m., per BCSO.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.