Inset: David R. Metz (Anderson County Jail). Background: Metz being arrested immediately after the crash that killed a 14-month-old in South Carolina (WYFF).
A tragic incident unfolded in South Carolina, where a 62-year-old man faces charges for allegedly killing a toddler with his truck while under the influence. The young child had exited through the back door of his family’s restaurant and made his way onto the road.
This week, authorities arrested David Ronald Metz, charging him with a felony DUI resulting in death, according to official records.
Police were called to the scene of a pedestrian accident at around 8:15 p.m. on April 13, near El Latino Bar and Grill on South Murray Avenue, as reported by Spartanburg’s CBS affiliate, WSPA. Emergency responders found the child critically injured and rushed him to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The Anderson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 14-month-old Christopher Rodrigo Perez Tapia. The office confirmed that he died from multiple traumatic injuries and classified the death as accidental, according to a report from Greenville’s NBC affiliate, WYFF.
Investigations revealed that while the child’s parents were tidying up the restaurant post-closing, the father stepped out to dispose of trash, unaware that his son had followed him outside, authorities informed local Fox affiliate WHNS. The toddler then wandered onto the roadway, where he was tragically hit by Metz’s truck, as stated by the coroner’s office.
Eyewitnesses and investigators described the event as a rapid sequence of events, offering little chance for intervention once the child entered the street. Following the collision, Metz reportedly drove away before returning to the location of the accident.
Officials emphasized that impairment contributed to the crash.
“Yes, the child was in the roadway when he was hit. But at the same time, if the driver would not have been under the influence, he may, could have reacted a little bit quicker and switched lanes,” Alyssa Whitfield of the coroner’s office told WYFF.
Authorities said the incident remains under investigation by the Anderson Police Department with assistance from the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
During a bond hearing, a judge set bail at $60,000 and ordered Metz to wear a GPS monitoring device if released, while also prohibiting him from contacting the victim’s family or returning to the business where the crash occurred, the Anderson Independent Mail reported. The toddler’s family did not attend the bond hearing, reportedly having a victim’s advocate from the police department appear on their behalf. The advocate requested that Metz be held without bond.
“The family is devastated,” Anderson Police Detective McKindra Bibb said, according to the same report. “They are unable to even pull it together enough to come to court this afternoon. It’s been less than 24 hours since their baby died.”
Defense attorney Austin McDaniel reportedly told the court his client had deep ties to the community and no prior convictions, asserting that those factors supported bond. He also expressed sympathy for the victim’s family.
Metz is scheduled to appear in court on June 11 as investigators continue to review the circumstances of the crash.
