Grandmother of 8-year-old struck, killed by driver in Detroit speaks
(CBS DETROIT) - Eight-year-old Tyrvion Chappell Jr. died last month after being hit by a car on Detroit's west side.
For the first time since the incident, Tyrvion's family is speaking with CBS News Detroit.
"It's just a lot, it's a lot, it's a lot," Treasa Perry said. "This baby [is] not coming back."
Now Perry's hands that once held her 8-year-old grandson hold a picture of him in his absence.
"[I'm] just in total disbelief," she said. "[I want] to be mad, but can't be mad because it doesn't change the fact that he's no longer here."
Perry says her grandson, Tyrvion, often known as TJ, was nonverbal but full of life and love. He was killed on June 17, 2023, near Fielding and Belton after being hit by a car. He was one of four children being raised by a single father.
"He was just love, and I'm not faking it because it's my grandchild," Perry said.
Detroit police investigated the crash and submitted a warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. The warrant was denied citing insufficient evidence, but Wayne County says if a credible witness were to come forward, they'd revisit charging the case.
"After getting him in his final resting place, to call and now find out this young lady may not be charged for this, I have a problem with that," Perry said.
It's a problem that may never be solved as this family grapples with grief, attempting to find solace after unimaginable sadness.
"The after, it's the after, and these people get to go along with their lives," Perry said.
