The hit-and-run driver seen on video surveillance plowing 9-year old LaDerihanna Holmes, while she played in the yard with her friend has finally come forward and turned himself in.
Gabriel Fordham was spotted on the Holmes’ surveillance video fleeing the scene after the incident and he has a very interesting reason of why he ran over young LaDerihanna Holmes.
Fordham’s attorney, Ryan Williams, said his client was fighting off a carjacker when the crash occurred.
“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 told WSB.
Williams says Fordham is “apologetic and he wants to help this family get closure to this issue.”
LaDerihanna’s mother described the horrifying scene to CNN.
CNN reports:
“I heard a very bad sound, and my house shook like an earthquake,” the mother said. “I immediately knew something was wrong. I screamed, ‘My baby!’ because I knew she was on the porch.”
She raced to the front lawn, where “a lady had gotten my baby from between the car and my house,” Bolton said. “Another gentleman started doing CPR.”
LaDerihanna’s father scooped her up and drove her to the hospital. Bolton followed another car.
As neighbors scrambled to help, the driver of the car fled without checking on the girl.
“He’s caught on camera taking part in this horrific situation that turned into a miracle for this child. I’ve just never seen anything like this in my entire career,” said attorney L. Chris Stewart, who’s representing the girl’s family.
It’s also a small miracle that the family had security footage capturing both the crash and the back side of a man who fled the car.
The 9-year-old suffered a fractured skull and a shattered pelvis that’s broken in three places.
“She was lifeless. I was screaming,” LaDerihanna’s mother, Charlotte Bolton, told CNN.
In addition to leaving LaDerihanna critically injured, he also severely damaged the family’s home.
“This car is deep in my house,” Bolton said. “My basement is destroyed.”
LaDerihanna is trying to stay positive as she recovers from her extensive injuries.
“She’s in a lot of pain, but she’s in good spirits,” her mother said. “She’s a strong little girl. She’s talking, she’s laughing, she’s joking. She’s talked to her friends.”
Bolton said the family is grateful for the “wide outpouring of love and support all across the world.”
“LaDerihanna wanted me to tell everyone thank you so much for your prayers, your well wishes,” she said.
“To all of her new friends she’s gained around the world, she wanted me to say thank you for contributing to her GoFundMe that’s in her name that’s to pay for her unpaid medical bills, her rehabilitation and long-term care.”
By Wednesday morning, donors had contributed more than $44,000 to the GoFundMe account for LaDerihanna’s medical bills.
Fordham has been charged with failure to maintain lane, failure to stop at a stop sign, reckless driving, hit and run and serious injury by vehicle.
Now you’re officially in the know!
