Family mourns boy's death
4-year-old's grandmother describes moments leading up to collision with motorcycle, father's arrest
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Photos
Photos

Ashton Wells with his father, Michael Wells.

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By ERIN WOOD
of the Journal Star
Posted Oct 06, 2008 @ 01:29 AM

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PEORIA — Just after learning his 4-year-old son was dead and just before he was taken into police custody, Michael Wells cried in his mother's lap.

"He said, 'Mom, I just want to go home to my son, but he's not going to be there,'" a sobbing Crystal Wells said Sunday evening of her 21-year-old son.

Michael Wells was performing a wheelie on his motorcycle in the parking lot of Hundman Lumber, 2601 W. Altorfer Drive, about 5:30 p.m. Saturday when he struck his son, Ashton, who was riding a bicycle nearby.

The East Peoria man, a forklift driver by trade, was arrested later Saturday evening for aggravated reckless driving and operating a motorcycle on one wheel, among other charges.

He said goodbye to his dead son while wearing handcuffs, Crystal Wells said.

"He looked at me and said, 'Mom, this was an accident. I would have traded places with him and taken my own life before I let my son be hurt,'" she recalled.

Michael Wells, a recreational motorcyclist, and friends occasionally got together with friends to perform stunts on their bikes, Crystal Wells said. They were given permission months ago to practice their tricks in the parking lot of the lumber yard near the Allen Road Wal-Mart Supercenter, she said.

Ashton, who looked up to his dad, always wanted to come along, but Michael Wells hadn't allowed it before Saturday. The boy's mother, Holly Blanch, and several other spectators tagged along to watch Saturday's practice. The energetic 4-year-old was given a bit of free rein on his bike.

According to Crystal Wells, her grandson was riding his bike at the opposite end of the lumber yard parking lot while his dad performed his stunts. Excited to finally be free of training wheels and even more excited about being with his dad, the boy darted toward his father before Blanch could catch him - and before Michael Wells had a chance to react.

His first instinct, Crystal Wells said, was to rush his injured son to the nearest medical help he could find - Methodist MedPointe on North Knoxville Avenue, 2 1/2 miles away. When they arrived, Ashton Wells had a pulse and was breathing but was immediately transported by ambulance to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m.

Police went to the hospital and escorted Michael Wells back to the scene of the accident for questioning. He was arrested at the scene shortly thereafter and was driven back to the hospital in handcuffs to view his son's body.

The two were inseparable, Crystal Wells said. Six months ago, Michael Wells had "Ashton" tattooed on his wrist, which he nervously rubbed at the hospital while waiting to hear his son's condition. A protective father, Michael Wells wouldn't let his son ride his bike outside the yard.

"He was a grieving father who didn't have time to comprehend what happened," Crystal Wells said while dabbing her eyes with a nearly empty roll of toilet paper and smiling at a sea of pictures spread across the kitchen table in her Peoria home. "My son needs to be with his family. He is a grieving father, not a criminal."

Michael Wells will make his first appearance before a judge today. An autopsy on the boy is also scheduled for today.

 

this sad man , u have to be carefull where u stunt and ride at man.. r.i.p lil man

 

wow I'm a bit misty...unimaginable

 

thats awful....it was an accident and the charges should be dropped.

 

that's terrible i couldnt imagine going through that

 

God damn... that would just devastate me, I could only imagine how the dad feels. Sad thing is, it really could happen to anyone of us. How many times have you been at the lot and someone has a kid there? I've had it MULTIPLE times where a little tike is just there with his mom or dad. Crazy... just crazy!

 

my prayers to the family, the law has no need to punish him, i think he'll do that to himself, everyday of his life....

 

That is crap!!!!! They had premission and it was an accedent. You don't see the cops pressing charges when it is an adult spectator that gets hurt. The guy deserves to be with his son, and family not in jail.

 

I would of tried to rip the throat out of one of the cops trying to arrest me.

 

do you think he'll stop riding....?? if he's no prosicuted...... or think he'll look at stunting as a memorable time for his son?

im not sure what i'd do... i know i wouldnt ride for a while thats for sure

 

I doubt he's thinking about anything other than his son....and probably won't for a while.

This is so sad, truely a freak accident and he should be at home with his family. I feel so bad for him!

And what about people who accidentially run their kids over in the driveway of their own home, happens far too often. Do you see those people getting arrested??

 

damn.. that sucks bad.

 

This is crazy, first time his son is there and its an honest accident, I cant imagine what is going through his head right now. I hope he gets off of the charges because there is nothing worse than what has happened already.

 

yea i have a 4 year old and that would've killed me, my prayers go out to him and his family.....

 

Example... The truck driver that ran this young rider over just gor a little ticket and went home...
https://www.stuntlife.com/forums/2-s...k-indiana.html


Thats BS that guy should be at home with his family.. Living with his self will be hard enough..

 

******* ******* cops



poor guy, that is so horrible, can't imagine the grief he must feel ....

 

that is horrible. I feel awful for the father

 

I'm not so sure Child Protective Services didn't order the arrest... from the way the article is written he was taken into custody after going back to the accident site for questioning. The cops would have arrested him right away if that were the case, I would imagine Child Protective Services stepped in and ordered the arrest after the fact.

 

+1, if they are going to press charges, they should at least have the courtesy of letting the memorial/funeral happen before pursuing it any further.

 

thats horrible... but we all know why they did it...

because he was on a motorcycle doing a wheelie... therefore, in they're eyes, he's a criminal