A 31-year-old Lufkin man has been arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide following a crash early Sunday that killed his 10-year-old stepson.
According to the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Earl Johnson Jr. was arrested Tuesday in connection with the April 27 incident and remains in custody. His bond has not yet been set.
Deputies responded to a call around 1:00 a.m. on Oakwood Drive, where a Nissan Titan had crashed into the back portion of a home's porch. Investigators found the truck lodged inside a covered porch area, with boards, poles, furniture, and a grill knocked over. A tricycle was found nearby.
The injured child was discovered lying on his back on the porch in front of the vehicle. He was transported to a hospital in Lufkin, where he was later pronounced dead.
According to an arrest affidavit, a 10-year-old girl at the scene told investigators she had been told to move the truck and lost control, causing the vehicle to strike the porch. The pickup was registered to Johnson, and the girl's statement was corroborated by the boy’s mother.
The mother said the child had been sitting on the porch using her phone when the girl, who had been riding a tricycle, complained the truck was in her way. She said Johnson instructed the girl to “scoot it up.” Johnson later admitted to investigators that the girl had previously driven the vehicle on backroads.
The affidavit also states that both Johnson and the boy’s mother smelled of alcohol at the scene and admitted to drinking three to four alcoholic beverages each while grilling.
Johnson is charged with criminally negligent homicide, a state jail felony. The investigation is ongoing.
