Mom of 9-year-old girl injured by hit-and-run doesn't believe suspect's story
LITHONIA, Georgia (KTRK) -- The suspect in the hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a 9-year-old girl in her front yard says a carjacker caused the incident, but the victim's mother doesn't believe it.
Gabriel Fordham, 28, said the crash only happened because Fordham was fighting off a carjacker inside of the car.
The mother of the little girl says she doesn't believe Fordham.
"You can lie to your attorney, you can lie to the public, but you can't lie to me," she said. "I am just thankful that we had the cameras at the time."
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.
Prosecutors say beer bottles were found in the car.
Laderihanna was left with a fractured skull, a broken pelvic bone and other serious injuries. Alaysia Phillips, 11, hurt her foot in the accident.
Fordham's attorney, Ryan 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.
