LA PORTE, Texas — The sister of a homeless teen killed after being hit by a tow truck is speaking out on behalf of her brother, saying this tragedy was preventable.
Cody Carlson, 16, was struck and killed by a tow truck while crossing Underwood Road in La Porte last week.
Police reported that the driver of the tow truck, who claimed not to have seen Cody due to darkness, was driving legally when the accident occurred at 5:45 a.m.
Investigators said that Cody was unlawfully crossing the road.
His sister, Callie Carlson, and advocates argue that the focus should not be solely on how he died but on why he was even out on the street in the first place.
“My brother did not deserve what happened to him. He was a human with family, friends, and people who cared about him,” Callie said.
Callie, who turned 18 recently, shared that both she and Cody had been in CPS custody for years. According to her, CPS had failed to secure housing for Cody after he became homeless.
Callie revealed that she had repeatedly urged CPS to find Cody a safe place to stay.
"That they don't have placement for him and he's just going to have to figure it out," she said.
She even suggested the department's hotel program, which provides a supervised place to stay for homeless teens. She said she was told now.
"She didn't know if Cody was going to stay there if they did put him there and it wasn't worth the resources," Callie said.
Karlton Harris, executive director of The Forgotten Third, a nonprofit supporting youth in the justice system, had also advocated for Cody. Harris said he contacted CPS to find housing for the teen but was unsuccessful.
“He’s 16 years old. He’s a child. He shouldn’t be out wandering the streets,” Harris said.
Harris believes Cody’s death was preventable.
“I believe if he was in a safe place, he wouldn’t have been out in La Porte,” he said.
CPS provided a statement to KHOU 11 News acknowledging Cody's death and confirming an investigation into the accident alongside law enforcement is underway. They also said they would look into allegations raised by Cody’s family.
Callie and Harris are demanding accountability.
“I believe systems failed him,” Harris said.