Father charged nearly three months after striking son in driveway on Bond Avenue

A Columbus father is charged in the death of his son nearly three months after striking the toddler in a Bond Avenue driveway, police said Friday.

Trenton Cook, 24, is charged with one count of homicide by vehicle and distracted driving in the May 8 crash that killed 22-month-old Zakai A. Cook at 2438 Bond Ave. He was taken into custody at the Public Safety Center at 10:15 a.m. Friday and held in the Muscogee County Jail for a 9 a.m. Thursday hearing in Recorder’s Court. No bond was available on Saturday.

The child was pronounced dead of blunt-force head injury in the emergency room at Piedmont Columbus Regional’s midtown campus after the 2:05 p.m. crash.

Cook was driving a 2002 Ford Explorer south on Bond Avenue when he approached the residence, stopped and proceeded to enter the driveway. The front bumper of the SUV struck the toddler, police said in a report on the collision.

Unsure of what he had struck, Cook said he then backed up before stopping the vehicle. The driver wasn’t injured in the crash and the Explorer had slight damage.

Although the father is charged with being distracted, it was not specified on his arrest report why Cook was distracted at the time of the crash.

Cook was returning home when the crash occurred.

This story was originally published July 28, 2018 at 12:00 AM.