Middle school student dies after being hit by vehicle in Dallas; passenger charged with felony murder
DALLAS — A 14-year-old middle school student died after being hit by a car Friday morning, Dallas police said.
Police were called to a crash at S. Marsalis Avenue and E. Ledbetter Drive around 7:55 a.m., where they found a 14-year-old had been hit by a car.
Through its investigation, the Dallas Police Department discovered that the driver of the vehicle and the passenger, 47-year-old James Grant, got into an argument as they drove south on Marsalis Ave.
Grant began "struggling with the driver and assaulted them," Dallas PD said.
The struggle and assault continued as the vehicle headed east on Ledbetter, according to Dallas PD, and Grant "reached across the driver causing the car to go off the road," where it hit the 14-year-old who was walking in the grass.
He was taken to a local hospital, where he died. The Dallas County Medical Examiner identified him as Jonathan Ayala. The Dallas Independent School District confirmed he was a student at Boude Storey Middle School.
Grant stole something from the driver and ran away, police said. The driver stayed at the scene and called 911.
Officers later found Grant. He was arrested and charged with felony murder, as, Dallas police said, he was "in the act of committing a felony offense which caused the death of the teen."
This investigation is ongoing.