Two children struck by vehicles in one day after leaving school in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Two children were hit by cars walking home from school in Columbus on Sept. 21. One incident was near Forrest Road, and the other on Buena Vista Road.

The families of the two children are shaken up after going through what some may call their worst nightmare, getting a phone call about their child being involved in a car accident.

“A woman called me and said, “You don’t know me, but your son’s been hit by a car and I was like what,” said the mother of the child hit on Forrest Road, Brooke Samford.

“My daughter was like, she got hit by a car mom. Please, please mom. Mom, oh my gosh,” said the aunt of the child hit on Buena Vista Road.

Two cousins, ages 10 and 6, were walking home from Brewer Elementary together. They were crossing Buena Vista Road to get to Chesterfield Avenue near Renaissance Villa Apartments when a car hit the 6-year-old.

“She looked both ways...not once, not twice, not three but four times and looked at her cousin and said okay can you run, and she said yes.” the aunt of the victim said. “And then for them to be running, holding hands, and then, for her to be ripped out of her hands by a car hitting her and her landing on the hood of the car and then rolling.”

The little girl left the accident without any physical injuries.

“Just holding on to my baby thanking God that I still got her because some moms can’t say that,” the mom of the Buena Vista Road victim said.

12-year-old Landyn Brewer was also hit the same day, and he did get hurt.

He was walking home from an after school robotics meeting at Fort Middle School around 4:50 p.m. Brewer’s mom said he was on the side of Agnes Drive crossing the street to get to their home on Forrest Road.

“I made the decision to let him walk home for the first time ever. I’ve never let him walk home, I’ve never let him walk anywhere because I know how these drivers are,” Samford, the mother said. “The first thing he said to me when he saw me was dad’s going to be so mad, they cut my shoes off my feet . I knew in that moment he was okay. You know, at least his brain was okay.”

Brewer is out of the hospital, but he has a broken leg. His mom said he is in a lot of pain but still in good spirits.

Both families said witnesses of the accidents did not hesitate to stop and help their children. Samford said the driver of her son’s accident was devastated, but the family of the victim hit on Buena Vista Road can’t say the same because the driver left the scene.

We reached out to Columbus police. Officials have not ruled the Buena Vista Road. and Chesterfield Avenue incident as a hit and run.

These families may not known each other, but safety for all is another thing they have in common.

“Just follow the law. I mean if you’re in that big of a hurry to get somewhere maybe just slow down a little bit because you never know what might happen,” Samford said.

“Help us out, help us make sure that we have enough coverage to make sure our children are able to get home and make it home safely and not having to take a ride in the ambulance. It’s not fair.” said the aunt of the Buena Vista Road victim.

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