COVINGTON, Ky -- Police won't know for days, possibly weeks, what additional charges they might file against a man suspected of killing a boy Friday evening.
That is, if they file any more charges at all.
Christopher Wells, 45, pleaded not guilty Monday to leaving the scene of a fatal traffic collision. The charge is a felony in the state of Kentucky. A judge set his bond at $10,000.
According to the Covington Police Department, Wells drove away after hitting 6-year-old Eli Kindt as the boy rode his bicycle along on E. 32nd Street.
Lt. Col. Brian Steffen said crash investigators are still working to piece together what, exactly, happened. Then police have to wait for toxicology reports from Kentucky State Police, Steffen said. That could take up to 90 days.
Casey Jones, Kindt's mother, said she ran out after he was hit, but she couldn't save him. He left behind two little brothers "he loved to death," Jones said.
"This could happen to anybody, so cherish the moments while they last," she said. "And this is the worst thing to happen to anybody -- especially right before your eyes and there's nothing you can do."
Jones is anxious to know if Wells will face more charges. And she said drivers are often careless on the street where her son died
"I know accidents, happen but he should have stopped," she said. "What happened if we wasn't outside? Would he have kept going?"
Kindt died two days before his youth football team's last game. Danny Arnold, who coaches the Bengal Tigers, said teammates are having a hard time processing the loss of their friend.
Another coach, Brandon McClendon, said the team is doing what it can to help the family. Part of the proceeds from the team's fundraiser on Saturday will go towards the cost of Kindt's headstone.
"He's still with us no matter what. No matter what," McClendon said.
Arnold said he'll remember Kindt as a lovable kid with an infectious smile.
"He was very energetic. He loved it. He's athletic," Arnold said. “He would go anywhere you wanted him to ... if you wanted him to do something, you could guarantee he would do it."
The team gave Jones a signed, framed photo of her son at Sunday's game. She was there, too, wearing his jersey. And his number -- 45 -- was everywhere.
"All the love from everybody, it's been phenomenal," she said. "And it's helped us get through this."
At the scene Friday night not long after her son's death, Jones had a message for other drivers: "So all I ask is please when you drive where there's kids, please slow down. It's not worth all this, all the pain and suffering."
WCPO's Kristen Swilley and Jake Ryle contributed to this report.
