Missing 3 year old child found dead in Macon. He was hit by car, investigators say.

A 3-year-old died after he was struck by an unknown vehicle in Macon, Ga. Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said.

A 3-year-old was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Macon Monday morning, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

A person initially reported the boy as missing from Suburban Studios hotel where he lived around 4 a.m. in the 3900 block of Riverside Drive, the coroner’s office said.

Then deputies found him alone and “unresponsive” beside a road near the hotel about an hour later, county Coroner Leon Jones and Sgt. Christopher Williams told The Telegraph.

“It appears that he was struck by an unknown vehicle,” Jones said.

The child was pronounced dead on the scene around 5:50 a.m. by Deputy Coroner Richard Robinson. He was identified as Royal Rhoades. Family was notified of his death, and his body will be sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for an autopsy.

Deputies were still investigating the scene Monday at 9 a.m.

Anyone with information was urged to contact the sheriff’s office and ask to speak with a fatality investigator at 478-751-7500.

Child’s grandfather said he reported boy missing

Eddie Rhoades, the child’s grandfather, told The Telegraph he called 911 to report Royal missing.

Eddie Rhoades said the child put a chair up to the hotel door and “opened the latch,” and also said the child’s body “wasn’t where they found him when we first went out to look for him.”

Traffic was blocked near the scene of the incident later Monday morning, but it was due to another unrelated crash.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.