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Smiley Elementary student struck by car, killed
MR child killed
Tyrone Fitch - photo by Photo provided / Coastal Courier
Tragedy struck Long County last weekend when a Smiley Elementary School student died from injuries sustained when an SUV struck the child as he was running along side a road.
At around 9:00 p.m. Saturday night, 8-year-old Tyrone Finch died when a 1999 Dodge Durango, driven by 38-year-old Franca Gray, hit the child on Griffin Road.
According to a Georgia State Patrol report filed by Trooper First Class Q.T. Melvin, Gray was driving her SUV south on Griffin Road in the direction of Tibet Road. The child reportedly was running on the west side of the road when he darted out into the path of the vehicle and was struck by the right side of the front bumper.  
The impact propelled Fitch about 25 feet from the site of the accident to the west shoulder of the road.
Emergency personnel were contacted and Long County EMS arrived on scene and transported the child to Liberty Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Finch was a student at Smiley Elementary School, and had just been promoted into third grade. He resided at Twin Oaks Mobile Home Park.
According to the report, there were no pending charges.
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