A Louisiana grandmother was arrested Wednesday after allegedly running over and killing her 5-year-old grandson while driving impaired.
Kristen Anders, 55, of Slidell, was charged with vehicular homicide, according to the Slidell Police Department. She was granted a $50,000 cash surety bond.
Just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, Slidell Police Department officers responded to the 300 block of Spartan Loop for a car hitting a young child in a driveway.
Officers learned Carson Lawson, 5, was waiting for the school bus in the driveway, standing in front of Anders’ 2016 GMC Yukon that was backed into the driveway, when his grandmother allegedly ran him over.
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.
Police noted she “exhibited signs of impairment” immediately after 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.
“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.
