Christopher Williams death: State agency investigating after teen who left Elmont school was fatally struck on Southern State Parkway
Christopher Williams went missing from the Martin de Porres School for Exceptional Children on Sept. 4. Credit: Jim Staubitser
A state agency is investigating after a 15-year-old boy who went missing from his Elmont school last week was fatally struck by a car on the Southern State Parkway, officials said.
Christopher Williams left Martin de Porres School for Exceptional Children during school hours on Sept. 4. He was reported missing by the school around 1:30 p.m. — about 15 minutes after he was hit by a car in North Valley Stream, Newsday previously reported.
The Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs, which is responsible for investigating allegations of "abuse and neglect committed by staff in certain state-licensed or certified settings," is reviewing the incident. A spokeswoman said the center "cannot comment on pending investigations."
Joe Trainor, the school’s executive director, said the state Department of Education and the Justice Center were both notified after the incident.
Trainor said in a statement that school staff are reviewing their policies and procedures. “The health, safety and education of our students remain our foremost priority, and we are dedicated to the ongoing improvement in these areas. We are addressing this incident with the highest regard of seriousness and care,” Trainor said.
State education officials visited the school last week, according to Education Department spokesperson JP O'Hare. O’Hare said schools are expected to have protocols in place to prevent cases of wandering and "elopement," a term used when students leave buildings without permission.
“When incidents are referred to NYSED, we conduct our own monitoring activities, including the Immediate Protections Safety Assessment, and, when necessary, the Department initiates monitoring reviews and requires compliance assurance plans to address any concerns,” he said in an email.
“For approved special education programs that are subject to a NYS Justice Center investigation, NYSED coordinates with the Justice Center and conducts the necessary monitoring of the program in response to the outcome of the investigation," he continued.
Williams lived in St. Albans, Queens. His family declined to comment Friday.
A similar tragedy unfolded more than a decade ago, when 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo, a student with autism, went missing from his Queens school in October 2013. His remains were found months later near the East River.
Oquendo's death spurred a local New York City law to better protect students with special needs.
The deaths of Oquendo, and an Iowa boy who wandered from home, focused national attention to the issue of wandering and helped pass Kevin and Avonte’s Law, which was reauthorized in 2022, and provides funding for programs to prevent these cases.
