Insets: Kyle Eck and his three children. Background: The area in Washington state where Kyle Eck was allegedly mowed down by a 17-year-old hit-and-run driver as he tried pushing them to safety (KPTV/YouTube).
A 17-year-old driver in Washington state has been involved in a tragic incident where he struck a father and his children as they were heading home from school. Astonishingly, the teenager continued to work his entire shift before confessing to his mother and turning himself in, according to local police. The father, who was using a crosswalk at the time, attempted to shield his children from harm.
“We used to safely cross at the crosswalk, but that’s no longer possible,” said Kyle Eck, who sustained a traumatic brain injury and underwent surgery to remove a portion of his skull. He shared his ordeal in an interview with local Fox affiliate KPTV this week.
“We won’t be doing that anymore,” Eck added.
The teenager was behind the wheel of his grandmother’s 2008 Nissan Versa when he hit Eck and his children—ages 10, 7, and 6—while making a left turn onto Southeast 136th Avenue from Seventh Street in Vancouver, Washington, in November 2025. The family was crossing 136th Avenue when the incident occurred, and the teen fled the scene, as detailed in a police press release.
“I can’t comprehend how someone could do that,” said Kaylee Johns, Eck’s fiancée and the children’s mother, in an interview with KPTV. “Considering the time of day, they must have known they hit someone, let alone multiple people.”
The aftermath was devastating for the family. Eck’s eldest child suffered a dislodged tooth, while the 7-year-old endured severe road rash on his face. The 6-year-old also had road rash on her legs. Eck required a craniectomy and cranioplasty to address a brain bleed and had a tracheostomy to assist with breathing due to his severe injuries.
“We were told they didn’t know if he was going to make it,” Johns said. “It was a waiting game. With how severe his traumatic brain injury was, it didn’t look good. At times, we were told that in a couple of days we might have to make decisions.”
Court documents obtained by KPTV describe how the teen went to his job and worked an entire shift before coming home and telling his mom what happened. He allegedly turned himself in while accompanied by his family.
“We understand he’s 17,” Johns said. “Kyle will have to deal with this for the rest of his life.”
A GoFundMe launched for Eck and his family says he was in a medically induced coma following his emergency brain surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.
The teen driver’s trial is scheduled to begin on March 23.
