18-year-old Jyon Collins turned himself in to Dearborn Police, while his attorney was beside him. However, he is yet to be charged with the crime.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on November 15, 2021. It has since been updated.
A 6-year-old girl named Batoul Al-Fadawi was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Bingham Street in Dearborn. The tragic incident took place on November 7, 2021, reports Click On Detroit. "The Dearborn Police responded to the 7600 block of Bingham on report of a pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle," reads the statement, according to PEOPLE. "Upon arrival, officers identified a 6-year-old child who had severe injuries and determined that the vehicle involved failed to stop." Batoul was rushed to Detroit's Children's Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, the statement explains. Batoul's father, Haidar Al-Fadawi, revealed that he held his precious daughter in his hands while she breathed her last.
Investigators in Dearborn, Mich., have detained a person of interest in the recent alleged hit-and-run death of 6-year-old Batoul Al-Fadawi, PEOPLE confirms. #crime #truecrime #CatchMyKillerhttps://t.co/pOMDKowx4r
— Catch My Killer podcast (@themarcabe) November 13, 2021
"The doctors just came up to me and they told me, 'Your daughter is dying. Just say goodbye to her,'" he said, adding the car that hit his daughter was speeding. "Within the next couple of minutes — and she died in my arms." An "initial investigation identified the vehicle involved as a silver or white Chevrolet Equinox," the police statement added. "With the subject in custody it's important to note that this investigation is active and ongoing," said Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad. "You will be kept updated when appropriate." It was later revealed that a person of interest has been detained in connection to the case. 18-year-old Jyon Collins turned himself into Dearborn Police, while his attorney was beside him. However, he is yet to be charged with the crime, the police statement revealed.
A Detroit teen has been charged in connection with the fatal hit-and-run of 6-year-old Batoul Al-Fadawi last weekend in Dearborn. https://t.co/Nt0ryqQVIv
— Local 4 WDIV Detroit (@Local4News) November 12, 2021
The grieving parents and other residents in the area told the cops that drivers speed down the street frequently. “People shouldn’t drive like that, crazy. He was driving like he was on the highway and the way he hit her,” Batoul Al-Fadawi’s mother Nadine Al-Fadawi said. Officers believe that the suspect who fled without stopping after hitting Batoul was driving around 50 miles per hour.
Attorney Majed Moughni said there has to be harsher penalties for hit-and-run drivers. “Right now the price for driving a 5,000-pound vehicle at 50 miles per hour is not high enough. There needs to be a greater price to pay,” Moughni said.
A GoFundMe campaign—which has now been closed— for Batoul's family described the little girl as having a "beautiful" soul. "Her excitement about being with family, playing, and learning were exceptional," it continues. "She always had a smile on her face and her voice was likewise enthusiastic."
Batoul is survived by her parents, six sisters, and a brother.
References:
https://people.com/crime/michigan-girl-beautiful-soul-killed-hit-run/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-family-of-batoul
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe | Help the family of Batoul
