Father arrested after 9-year-old boy killed in September car crash in Fort Worth
On the afternoon of Sept. 16, David Small of Leander was driving his 2016 Ford 150 on Interstate 20 in Fort Worth.
He took the Bryant Irvin Road exit, but because Fort Worth police say he was at a high rate of speed, he left the roadway, hit a large concrete bridge pillar and continued on until his vehicle hit a second bridge pillar.
David Small was found to have a broken jaw and taken to a local hospital.
His 9-year-old son, Henry Small, was thrown from the truck, and first responders immediately started CPR when they arrived. The young boy was taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, where he later died.
On Monday, David Small, 37, was arrested on a charge of intoxication manslaughter in the traffic death of his 9-year-old son. He was later released on bail.
A warrant obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Wednesday indicated that David Small’s blood alcohol level was 0.20, more than twice the legal limit in Texas.
Jenny Small, David Small’s wife, declined on Thursday to comment.
David Small could not be reached Thursday for comment.
The warrant written by Detective L.Y. Sorrels provided these brief details in the case:
The fatal crash was reported at 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 16 in the 5700 block of Interstate 20 at the Bryant Irvin Road exit.
Henry Small died from blunt force injuries and his death was ruled an accident, according to officials with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Shortly after David Small was taken to a local hospital, a nurse at the hospital reported to Fort Worth police that he was intoxicated.
Sorrels obtained a search warrant for David Small’s blood and urine.
Lab results showed that David Small’s blood alcohol level was at 0.20, and he also had alprazolam and citalopram in his system, according to the warrant.
Just hours after the accident, family members and friends of the Smalls rallied around the family.
“To say our hearts are broken is an understatement,” Jenny Small wrote on her Facebook page the day after the accident. “We have a village around us and know that our family is loved.”
Friends and family members of the Smalls raised more than $20,000 on a GoFundMe account to help the family pay the funeral cost and David Small’s medical expenses.
This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 2:56 PM.
