Rocky Mount dad gets child abuse charge after moped wreck

A Rocky Mount man wrecked his moped Saturday, injuring his two sons and earning himself a charge of child abuse, police reported.

Antonia Lawrence, 44, told police he was giving his sons a ride on the bike, on Whatley Drive near Challenge Court, when he ran it off the side of the road. The bike flipped and the boys, ages 7 and 10, suffered broken legs, Lawrence told officers.

Officers charged him with child abuse, careless and reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle without a helmet and DWI.

The boys were transported to Pitt Memorial Hospital where they were in stable condition, police said.