A 5-year-old child is dead after allegedly being forced onto an Alabama highway as punishment.
35-year-old Bryan Starr will be charged with reckless murder for the death of 5-year-old Austin Birdseye.
According to Russell County officials, Starr was driving on Highway 165 Sunday evening when he told the child, his girlfriend’s son, to get out of the car for being “unruly.”
Conditions were dark and rainy at the time, and Starr reportedly told officials he lost sight of Austin until he saw cars stopped in the road.
The 5-year-old was hit by an oncoming car and was transported to Piedmont Columbus Regional where he was later pronounced dead.
“I can’t imagine the mother’s grief that she’s going through,” said Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor.
Officials say they don’t anticipate charges for the driver who hit Austin Birdseye.