Former Walker County sheriff’s deputy indicted in crash that killed 14-year-old

WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — UPDATE (7/8/2020): The Walker County Sheriff’s Office has informed the public that a former deputy has been indicted in an on-duty crash that killed a 14-year-old back in August 2019.

Blake Hudson, 31, has been charged with manslaughter after crashing into 14-year-old Austin Aaron who was riding on an ATV at the time.

WCSO says they turned the investigation over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to make sure the investigation remained unbiased in its findings. The department says they will no longer be commenting on the case.

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ORIGINAL (8/6/19): A 14-year-old boy who was critically injured in a wreck over the weekend has died.

Austin Aaron, who was involved in a wreck with a Walker County Sheriff’s Office deputy Friday night, was pronounced dead at 9:29 a.m. Monday morning. Walker County Coroner Joey Vick confirmed the death to CBS 42 Tuesday.

Aaron was riding an ATV Friday night when the vehicle crashed with the deputy’s car between Old Tuscaloosa Road and AL Hwy. 69 South in Jasper. Aaron was transported to Children’s of Alabama while the deputy was taken to Walker Baptist Medical Center.

Following the accident, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith took to Facebook to express sympathy for both the boy and the deputy.

“This tragic accident has left a young boy clinging to life and a young man devastated,” Smith wrote Sunday. “This accident will forever change those two people, their families, and will have a ripple effect across our entire county.”

A vigil was held for Aaron Monday night at the Walker County Courthouse.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

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