An 11-year-old boy who was walking to school in Upland was killed Thursday by a hit-and-run driver who later arrested and described as a “coward” by the victim’s stepfather.
The boy was struck by a car at Arrow Highway and Benson Avenue (map) while he was walking to nearby Cabrillo Elementary School just before 8 a.m., according to the Upland Police Department.
The boy had “severe trauma” and was transported to San Antonio Community Hospital, where he died.
He was identified by family members at the scene as Isaiah Shelton-Dobine.
The alleged driver of the hit-and-run vehicle was identified as Jason Fehr, 25, of Rancho Cucamonga.
He lives in the same apartment complex as the boy, according to the suspect’s roomate’s father.
Fehr was booked for felony hit-and-run charges at West Valley Detention Center, police said in a news release. He may face additional charges pending the outcome of the traffic investigation.
“The vehicle that struck the boy made no attempt to stop after the accident and fled eastbound on Arrow Highway,” police said.
The vehicle involved was a white Jeep Cherokee, similar to a 2008 model. It was followed by a gray pickup truck, according to police, who asked the driver of the truck to contact them.
The boy’s family members were pleading for the hit-and-run driver to go to police.
“The person who did this, do you have a family? Do you have children?” the boy’s grandmother, Tamara Strong said, sobbing. “How can you just drive off? How can you just leave a defenseless child there, and go about your day?”
The vehicle had been rented by an older man, whose son in turn lent it to a friend of his. The father saw the vehicle description on the news and asked his son about the incident, resulting in the son’s friend’s arrest, according to police at the scene.
The sixth-grade student’s death was a tragedy, said Upland Unified School District Superintendent Nancy Kelly.
“Words fail to express the amount of sadness as the family faces this unthinkable loss,” Kelly said.
District officials have been with family members at the hospital, she said. Counselors were at the school and available throughout the district.
Investigators remained on scene about 1 p.m., and traffic was directly away from the crash site, on Arrow Highway, aerial video showed.
Witnesses were asked to call Upland police Traffic Division at 909-946-7624.
The boy’s death follows two fatal incidents involving Southern California children the previous day: a 9-year-old girl struck by gunfire in Anaheim; and a 7-year-old boy hit by an ice cream truck in South Los Angeles.
KTLA’s Jennifer Thang and Kennedy Ryan contributed to this article.
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