Akron police arrest Shaune Chesney in connection with hit-skip of boy walking home from school

AKRON, Ohio - Police in Akron have arrested a man suspected of hitting a 5-year-old boy with a car, apologizing and then leaving the scene.

“We actually stopped him leaving the school after he was picking up his child,” said Lt. Rick Edwards of the Akron Police Department.

Akron police said 48-year-old Shaune Chesney of Akron was arrested Thursday. He’s facing charges of hit-skip and driving under suspension.

“The day of the accident he was driving with a suspended license and when we stopped him he had a suspended license,” said Edwards who added that Chesney has a first grader at the same Akron elementary school where the victim attends.

“You teach compassion and empathy and knowing that that person also had a child, you just wonder how that person would feel if it happened to their own child,” said LaCresia Shaw, the victim's mother.

Police said last Friday, Chesney struck Joshua Shaw while the boy was crossing Goodhue Avenue after leaving school with his sister. Chesney allegedly asked the boy if he was alright before leaving the scene.

"He ran me over on my leg," said Shaw who was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for a broken leg. A two-hour surgery was performed to repair one of the bones, which was shattered.

"The dude got out of his car and started running towards Joshua and he started saying that he was sorry," said Jadynn, Joshua’s sister.

Police said their investigation into the matter led them to Chesney, who was stopped on West Market and Pershing Avenue Thursday.

“It's not humane for someone to hit a 5-year-old, I mean, this is just a little guy,” Edwards said.

Chesney was arraigned on the charges Friday morning. He’s schedule to be back in court Monday.