6th grader spends last day of school in hospital after struck by a car

By Paige Meyer

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    HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (WAAY) — A 12-year-old boy is in critical condition after being struck by a car in Huntsville Wednesday night. The accident happened on Avondale Drive right off Mastin Lake Road.

Donald Patton tells WAAY 31 his stepson, Cayden, was the little boy who was struck. Patton says he rushed to Cayden’s mom’s house on Avondale Drive when he received the call that Cayden was hurt. When he arrived, Mastin Lake Road was completely blocked off by police.

Patton was told Cayden was playing outside when he was struck.

“It went from playing basketball to somebody getting hit,” Patton said.

Huntsville Police say the child was originally placed in a family member’s car to be taken to the hospital and followed by the car who struck him. But after a short distance, they stopped and waited for HEMSI to arrive. The child was then transported to Huntsville Hospital with serious injuries.

Don Webster with HEMSI says Cayden was airlifted Thursday morning to UAB Women and Infants Center. Patton says his son remains in critical condition with several surgeries scheduled.

“I hate for him to be in as much pain as he’s in because he’s in pretty bad shape,” Patton said.

Thursday was supposed to be Cayden’s last day of 6th grade but instead of spending it with friends, he’s spending it in the hospital.

“He’s supposed to be getting ready to go to another grade so we got to wait and figure out what’s next because it’s going to be a long recovery,” Patton said.

The speed limit on Avondale Drive is only 25 miles per hour, but Patton says after seeing how badly his son was hurt, he believes whoever is responsible had to be speeding.

“There’s no way that that much damage could’ve been done to him. Someone had to be going really fast,” Patton said.

WAAY 31 is working to learn more from Huntsville Police about the person responsible for the accident.

Patton hopes this tragic event will make authorities patrol the speed around Mastin Lake Drive more frequently.

“This street here, it’s a speedway and whatever they can do to possibly slow these people down that would be great,” Patton said.

The Huntsville Police Department is still investigating this incident.

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