Five-year-old boy who was fatally struck by SUV remembered
The Autism News | English
By MATT BARNARD | Tulsa World
An autistic boy who died after being struck by a sport utility vehicle was a strong-willed child who had a profound effect on almost everyone he met, according to people who knew him.
Jack Franklin Hensley, 5, darted into traffic Friday afternoon and was hit by the vehicle at 41st Street and Yale Avenue. Medics took him to St. Francis Hospital, where he later died, his grandmother Nancy Roberts said.
Roberts said raising Jack was a challenge at times but that his personality overcame his occasional behavioral problems.
“I can’t even tell you what a wonderful child he was and how special he was. He was just the sweetest, most loving little boy,” she said. “I told him all the time, ‘Jack, you’re Nana’s special angel.’ ”
The boy’s father, Shawn Hensley, was doing household chores while Jack watched cartoons on the family’s computer about 4:15 p.m. Friday. His mother was at work when the boy wandered away from home, and Hensley started searching nearby playgrounds and parks, Roberts said.
Meanwhile, Jack was walking through a busy shopping district and was struck as the driver went north on Yale. Police said there was no way the driver could have avoided the crash.
Jack had extensive swelling in his brain and never regained consciousness after the accident, Roberts said. She said he was pronounced dead Sunday morning but remained on life support until early Monday so that his organs could be donated.
Family friend Ellen Geisler said children with autism tend to be very active and focused. Jack was no exception, she said.
“Anybody that had an autistic child knows that they do what they want to do,” Geisler said. “If you turn your head for two seconds and you’re not watching, they’re gone.”
Police said Jack was wearing a medical bracelet that indicated his condition and that there were no signs of neglect when officers talked with his parents.
Autism creates unique challenges for police, who are sometimes unaware of its characteristics, Tulsa Police Maj. Eric Dalgleish said.
As the father of a 6-year-old son with autism, Dalgleish said a recent training session underscored the need for patience when dealing with people who have the condition.
“We get in the mentality of ‘we’ve got to clear this call so we can go on to the next one,’ and when you’re dealing with a person with autism, you can’t rush,” he said.
The training ended in April and was well-received by the Police Department. It helped officers understand the tendencies of autistic people, who are seven times more likely than the general population to come into contact with police, Dalgleish said.
“A large number of the kids have no sense of danger. It’s not built in, like it is for other folks,” he said. “A sense of fear that you or I might have built into our systems doesn’t register to a lot of them.”
Relate news: Autistic boy dies after being hit by car
Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=298&articleid=20090707_298_0_Anauti931321
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Klarin Fausett at 1:09am July 8
oh gosh…… not again…….. oh sweetie…….. this just breaks my heart in a trillion pieces…… these posts are so hard to take John……….
Jason Sanders at 9:23am July 8
Ugh, this is horrible….so scary.
Kim J Young at 10:37am July 8
Terrible, he is soooo precious. He rests with the angels. Horrible news.