CANTON, Ohio — Rushon Patterson II faces felony charges after a child died when the child fell from the outside of a church van Patterson was driving.
According to complaints filed in Canton Municipal Court, Patterson is charged with vehicular homicide and endangering children, both third-degree felonies.
Police reports state that on Saturday, Sept. 6, Patterson knowingly allowed a minor to ride on the exterior of a 2007 Ford van registered to Alive Now Church. The van struck a pothole on Alan Page Drive SE, causing the child to fall, sustain serious injuries, and later die.
Investigators revealed that Children’s Protective Services received information from an anonymous family member reporting multiple juveniles riding on the van’s exterior. The family member said several children jumped off after the van hit the pothole, but one child was unable to jump in time and was thrown from the vehicle, hitting his head on the road.
Patterson was arraigned Monday with bond set at $1 million. A conference hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17.
