Hit-and-run driver surrenders after slamming into 9-year-old girl playing in front yard
LITHONIA, Georgia -- The suspect in the hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a 9-year-old girl in her front yard has turned himself in.
Gabriel Fordham, 28, turned himself in with his attorney. But he told WSB-TV there's more to the story.
"He's apologetic and he wants to help this family get closure to this issue," Fordham's attorney, Ryan Williams said.
Williams said the crash only happened because Fordham was fighting off a carjacker inside of the car.
"Someone jumped in his vehicle with a pistol, put the gun to his face, made him drive, and the whole time my client was driving, he was kind of directing the path," Williams said.
Frightening video showed the car careen across the grass in front of a home in Lithonia around 7 p.m. Friday. The car hit Laderihanna Holmes, 9, who was playing with a friend.
Laderihanna was left with a fractured skull, a broken pelvic bone and other serious injuries. Alaysia Phillips, 11, hurt her foot in the accident.
Williams says the unidentified person in the white pants seen running away is the passenger and the robber who attacked his client.
Williams said Fordham and his girlfriend, who owns the car, contacted police the same day of the crash and have been negotiating a surrender ever since.
Police said Fordham will be charged with hit-and-run, failure to maintain lane, stop sign violation, serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving.
