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Boy, 12, dies after being hit by car outside group home

A 12-year-old boy died Monday night after a car hit him as he was walking along a Johnston County road outside the group home where he lived.

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CLAYTON, N.C. — A 12-year-old boy died Monday night after a car hit him as he walked along a Johnston County road outside the group home where he lived, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said Tuesday.

Authorities responding around 8:20 p.m. to a call about a wreck found Khalil Todd dead in front of The Lighthouse, at 1521 Ranch Road, about 2 miles outside of Clayton.

Authorities say the driver, Brian Session, 24, was traveling southwest on Ranch Road and hit Todd with the front right side of his 2008 Honda Accord.

Neighbors said Todd was wearing all black last night and that they frequently saw him in the road, carrying a big stick.

Session turned around after the boy was hit and was devastated, crying next to his car, they said.

An unidentified caller told a 911 operator there were no street lights and that Todd was in the middle of the road.

"We just looked up, and he was in the middle of the street, and we didn't have time to stop," the caller said.

Session could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Troopers are still investigating the wreck but said it did not appear that speed or alcohol were factors.

A Highway Patrol spokesman said it will be up to the Johnston County District Attorney's Office to determine whether charges will be filed in the case.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, The Lighthouse – owned by KMG Holding Inc. – is a Level III residential treatment facility for young men with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A Level III facility in North Carolina means it is a highly structured and supervised environment.

Neighbors said they have been concerned for a long time about residents of the group home playing in the street.

"Sometimes, they're out there skateboarding in the road, and they'll play basketball and lose the basketball and go out into the road. So, it's been very troubling," said Phil Langford.

"We just kept saying that something is going to happen, and pitifully, it did."

Tammy Amaon, a spokeswoman for the Johnston County Sheriff's Office said deputies have responded to the home 213 times since 2006. The majority of calls, she said, were for one of three reasons – neighbors reporting disturbances, residents going missing and trouble with patients.

The Lighthouse management group released a statement Tuesday morning: "The Board of Directors and staff of The Lighthouse are truly saddened by this tragic accident, and we are keeping his family in our prayers."

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