It was supposed to be a simple morning: a little boy, just five years old, standing in his family driveway waiting for the school bus. Instead, in a heart-shattering turn of events, he never got on. Around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in the quiet subdivision of Spartan Trace in Slidell, Louisiana, that moment became the start of a nightmare for a family and a community.
Local authorities say that the boy — later identified as five-year-old Carson Lawson — was waiting at the driveway’s edge for his school bus when his grandmother, 55-year-old Kristen Anders, got behind the wheel of a 2016 GMC Yukon to head off to work. In the clouded early-morning light, Anders backed the SUV into the driveway and then drove forward — tragically unaware that Carson stood in front of the vehicle. As she pulled away, the boy was struck and killed instantly.
The investigation revealed that Anders was under the influence of alcohol and central-nervous-system depressants at the time of the crash. Parliament of the distressing scene, law enforcement officers on the scene noted signs of impairment before she was arrested. Facing charges of vehicular homicide, she was booked at the scene by the Slidell Police Department.
Police Chief Daniel Seuzeneau described the horror plainly: “This is any parent’s worst nightmare,” he said, reflecting the shared pain of the responding officers, the family, and the nearby neighbors who were left shaken. One neighbor, refusing to be identified, said she heard the screams, dialed 911, and felt helpless as the tragedy unfolded.
In the aftermath of Carson’s death, the family and community are grappling with grief and the weight of unanswered questions. Carson, who had recently celebrated his fifth birthday in June, was described by officials as a child full of promise, now gone far too soon.
This isn’t simply a traffic accident. It underscores how quickly ordinary moments can tear into devastating loss, and how decisions made in a split second can leave forever marks. As investigations continue, including a scheduled autopsy, residents of Slidell are left reflecting on life, safety, and how fragile our routine can be.
To everyone reading: hold your loved ones a little closer. Carson’s story is heartbreaking, and his memory calls on us all to stay vigilant, protect our children, and recognise that even the most familiar settings can become sites of unspeakable tragedy.