DILLON — The parents of a 7-year-old Dillon boy who was killed while riding his bicycle on Sept. 23 near a busy intersection by the high school want to raise awareness for bicycle safety.
"He was a beautiful, free-spirited child with a sweetness that was unmatched. I mean, a sweetness that was unmatched. You know he was just beautiful in all manners," said Cameron Haworth, the father of bicyclist Enoch Haworth.
WATCH: Split-Second Decisions - Family's Message After Tragic Loss
On the warm fall evening, Regina Haworth and her two sons were closing up her shop located in downtown Dillon, just seven blocks from her home.
"He gave me a little green bracelet, you know, those rubber band bracelets that they make, and he put it on my arm. He said, 'There you go'. I made that at school today," said Regina Haworth.
Regina says her son Enoch took off on his bike after blowing her a kiss.
"I locked the doors, and I said, 'Watch the road." He said, 'Okay, mom, I love you, '" said Regina.
As she drove home, she noticed something wasn’t right.
"Right at the high school intersection, I saw all the cop cars. And your heart drops. You know? Something," said Regina.
She went straight home. Enoch’s bike wasn’t outside, and he was not inside. She and her 9-year-old jumped back in the car.
"As soon as I got up there, all the cops were looking at me, and I saw the bike and the whole front was just destroyed," said Regina.
Accompanied by a police officer, Regina headed to the hospital, where surgeons worked for 45 minutes to save Enoch’s life. Cameron arrived at the hospital and was taken to see the boy.
"I just said, 'there’s no coming back from where he is. Can you please remove everything from him?' Thank you so much for what you’ve done for us and for fighting for him. Thank you," said Cameron Haworth, the father of Enoch.
Cameron asked hospital staff to leave the room while he prayed.
"I held him, and I loved him, and I kissed him, and I sent him on the way, the correct way with prayer, and it was hard. It was very hard," said Cameron.
Cameron says Enoch was everyone’s child, and his loss is felt by everyone in the community and surrounding areas.
"It’s just a terrible accident. It could’ve been avoided with attentiveness and a little bit more care," said Cameron.
A University of Montana Western student has been charged with negligent homicide in the accident that took Enoch’s life. According to charging documents, the man was driving a 2014 RAM when he struck Enoch in the crosswalk. Documents report that video evidence shows the driver had the opportunity to see the boy in the crosswalk, but accelerated rapidly into the intersection.
"It was just a child that did it, you know?" said Regina. She and Cameron said the person accused is not much older than their oldest son.
"He was delivering pizzas," said Regina.
Cameron says the most important thing he wants to convey is to raise awareness.
"You don’t understand the real cost of lacking in that awareness," said Cameron.
He and Regina want changes at the intersection to make it safer, and they want drivers to be more alert.
"Whatever it is that you’re doing when you’re in a vehicle and you’re going through an intersection, you stop. You look both ways. You don’t gun it. You progress slowly and attentively," said Cameron.
The family wears t-shirts memorializing Enoch and reminds people to look both ways. They have also set up a petition to make the intersection safer for pedestrians.
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Did You Know?
Child Pedestrian Deaths - Key Statistics:
Overall Child Pedestrian Deaths:
- Approximately 600 children and adolescents (ages 0-19) die from pedestrian-related injuries annually in the US
- 704 child pedestrians die each year on average (this includes all pedestrian incidents, not just crosswalks)
- 17% of children 14 and younger killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians (2023 data)
Age-Specific Breakdown:
- Children ages 0-4: Had the most pedestrian fatalities in 2021
- Children ages 5-9: Had the fewest pedestrian deaths (46) in 2023, but these still represented 17.6% of all traffic deaths for this age group
- Children ages 10-14: Had the highest estimated percentages of pedestrians injured (6%)
Important Context:
Crosswalk-Specific Data: The statistics don't separate crosswalk deaths from overall pedestrian deaths, but research shows that 75% of fatal pedestrian crashes occur at mid-block crossings rather than at intersections with marked crosswalks.
Timing Patterns:
- 36% of child pedestrian deaths occur between 3:00-7:00 PM
- Most occur during after-school hours when children are walking home
Positive Trend: Despite the tragic individual cases, children under 13 have seen the largest decline in pedestrian death rates since 1975 (93% decrease), showing that safety measures and awareness campaigns do work.
Primary Sources:
- Children's Safety Network - Child pedestrian safety infographic and 2022 resource guide
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) - Fatality Facts 2023: Pedestrians
- National Safety Council - Injury Facts pedestrian data
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - Pedestrian crash data reports
- Governor's Highway Safety Association (GHSA) - Pedestrian traffic fatalities by state reports
Key Statistics Sources:
- "704 child pedestrians die annually" - Children's Safety Network
- "600 children and adolescents (ages 0-19) die from pedestrian-related injuries" - Children's Safety Network 2022 Resource Guide
- "17% of children 14 and younger killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians" - NHTSA 2023 data
- "93% decrease in pedestrian death rates for children under 13 since 1975" - IIHS Fatality Facts 2023
- "75% of fatal pedestrian crashes occur at mid-block crossings" - Genre insurance publication citing crash data
Data compiled with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
