7-Year-Old Girl Is Killed in Crash Allegedly Caused by Road Rage Incident, 2 Drivers Charged 

Hannah Crutchfield died after being taken to the hospital with severe head injuries

Hannah Crutchfield
Hannah Crutchfield.

A 7-year-old girl died in a school crosswalk after being struck by a vehicle as a result of a road rage incident between two drivers who now have been charged in her death, prosecutors say.

The girl, Hannah Crutchfield, was killed Sept. 14 outside of George W. Julian School 57 in Irvington, Ind., when a vehicle driven by an unnamed 17-year-old female swerved and struck a third car that then hit Hannah, her mother and a crossing guard in the street, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Monday in a news release.

Hannah "was the embodiment of joy, the very picture of a carefree life," the Rev. Melody Merida said at a Sept. 25 memorial service for the young girl, reports the Indianapolis Star.

"As much as I will miss my Hannah for the rest of my life," her father, Jeremy Crutchfield, told mourners at the service, "I will always love knowing that our last words to each other were 'I love you infinity times infinity.'"

According to court documents cited by WISH TV, the 17-year-old driver was being chased by Torrell King, 21, after the teen allegedly cut off King and forced him onto a median. Investigators say that after the teen swerved around another vehicle and ran a red light, she struck the third vehicle, an SUV, and pushed it into the path of the three victims as Hannah was leaving school around 4 p.m.

At the time, Hannah and her mother, Cassandra Crutchfield, were crossing the street with crossing guard Michael Sykes. Cassandra was trapped under the SUV; Sykes suffered injuries to his legs and left side.

Hannah died after being taken to the hospital with severe head injuries.

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"I think in this particular case there wasn't necessarily that intent to kill someone," said prosecutor Mears, reports FOX 59. "The issue was, they're engaging in reckless behavior, they violated a known standard of risk."

The 17-year-old faces charges of reckless homicide, operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing endangerment, operating a vehicle never having received a license and multiple counts of criminal recklessness.

King was charged with reckless homicide and criminal recklessness. Online records of the Marion County jail on Tuesday did not indicate whether he had been arrested or booked, had been issued a bond or had an attorney who might speak on his behalf.

Mears, in a statement, referred to "the senseless death of Hannah Crutchfield," adding that it "serves as a severe reminder that reckless driving has tragic and fatal consequences. I offer my condolences to the loved ones of Miss Crutchfield and wish those well who are still recovering."

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