A Cabell County family is grieving, and a community is heartbroken, after a 12-year-old boy was killed Wednesday evening when the side-by-side he was riding in with his grandfather left the road and rolled.
The Cabell County Sheriff's Office says the boy's grandfather, 51-year-old Michael Hager of Barboursville, was driving the UTV and has been arrested and charged with DUI causing death.
What Happened
Cabell County 911 got the call at 5:14 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, for a crash in the 3000 block of Cyrus Creek Road. That's the stretch off U.S. 60 East near the Huntington Mall, a road plenty of folks in the Barboursville area know well.
Deputies say Hager and his 12-year-old grandson were the two people in the side-by-side. According to the sheriff's office, a preliminary investigation found that the UTV ran off the road, went into a ditch and rolled. The boy died in the crash.
Cabell County Sheriff's deputies responded along with Cabell County EMS and the Barboursville Fire Department.
The Charge
Hager faces a charge of DUI causing death. As with anyone accused of a crime, the charge is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The sheriff's office has not released the boy's name, and the investigation is ongoing.
Holding This Family Close
Side-by-sides are part of everyday life across the Mountain State, from hunting camps to back roads to family farms. Stories like this one hit home in every hollow and holler, because so many of us have ridden along with a parent or grandparent just like this boy did.
Whatever comes next in the courtroom, a young life was lost far too soon, and a family will be carrying that loss for the rest of their lives. Please keep them, and the first responders who answered that call, in your thoughts and prayers. We'll share more as officials release it.