The mother of a 9-year-old Texas boy who was struck and killed by a pickup truck more than a year ago said she remains without answers after the driver has not been charged.
Max Abercrombie, a third grader, was struck just before 6 p.m. on March 12, 2024, while riding a scooter near his grandmother’s home in Far East Dallas. He was rushed to Children’s Medical Center Dallas and later died of his injuries.
Jamie Abercrombie said she was the first person to reach her son after the crash and attempted CPR as bystanders called for help. She told CBS News she tried to wake him and that he had a pulse but was not conscious when emergency personnel arrived. Family members said the driver did not offer assistance at the scene.
Dallas police said in a statement that standard protocol was followed by officers and investigators and that "the driver returned to the scene, in compliance with the law regarding an involvement in a crash." Police added that the investigation determined "no offense occurred." The Dallas County medical examiner’s office ruled the death an accident.
The family’s attorney, Andrew Howard, has described the collision as a hit-and-run in his view and said prosecutors could pursue manslaughter charges. Howard told media outlets that, in his estimation, multiple felonies may have been committed and that the department "dropped the ball." The family has requested that an arrest be made for Failure to Stop and Render Aid Resulting in Death, that evidence be presented to a grand jury and that investigative materials be released.
Family members said the driver returned to the scene on two occasions after the crash but did not identify himself. In televised interviews, Jamie Abercrombie said she and relatives have not received information they consider sufficient and said they do not feel protected by the police response. "I just feel like that’s your job to make us feel protected when something like this happens," she said.
Max’s sister, Hailey, described ongoing grief in comments to CBS, saying the pain "hits in waves" and that some days are better than others. Friends and relatives kept vigils and memorials in the neighborhood after the death. The family organized a burial service in August 2024 in which attendees released balloons and tossed roses. They also held a tearful honor walk at the hospital and donated Max’s organs.
A GoFundMe for the family raised $26,901 and described Max as a "light in the room" who was beloved by teammates and coaches on his youth football team. The family created a clothing line, Max’s Custom Apparel, as part of their effort to preserve his memory.
The family’s calls for further action have drawn comparisons from relatives to how other cases were handled; their attorney and relatives said they believed an arrest would have been made sooner under different circumstances. Dallas police and the Dallas County medical examiner’s determinations, however, remain the official findings.
The Daily Mail reported that it reached out to the Dallas Police Department for comment. The family has urged the release of investigative materials and a grand jury presentation so they can better understand the authorities’ conclusions and possible next steps.