CANTON — An Ohio pastor was charged in connection with the death of a child, who he allowed to ride outside of a motor vehicle.
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26-year-old Rushon Trevl Patterson II was charged with vehicular homicide and child endangerment, CBS affiliate WOIO-19 reported.
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The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 9, where Canton court records said Patterson allowed a teen to ride on the outside of a Ford van while Patterson was driving.
A Canton police report obtained by WOIO-19 included a witness statement that describes several teens hanging off the car, and the victim falling off the van when it hit a pothole.
The crash report says the victim “was ejected, causing his death.”
The teen fell off and was seriously injured and later died, WOIO-19 reported.
The van is owned by Alive Now Church, according to police records.
A staffer at the church confirmed that Patterson is a pastor there and said that the victim was also a member of the church, WOIO-19 reported.
Patterson was arrested on Sept. 12 on a warrant and is being held on a $1 million bond.
He has a court date scheduled for Wednesday, WOIO-19 reported.
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