Driver Arrested After Girl Dies In Belle Isle Hit-And-Run: Police

Detroit MI

03 June, 2022

3:12 PM

Description

DETROIT — Police accused a Ypsilanti man of driving onto a populated Belle Isle beach and running over two young Dearborn girls, killing one of them and critically injuring the other, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday. Alexander Armond Smith, 23, was charged with murder, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving after striking 12-year-old Ghadir Saleh, killing her, police said. Smith also struck her 16-year-old sister and then sped away from the scene, officials said. Prosecutors did not say if Smith struck the girls intentionally. Michigan State Police also do not believe drugs and alcohol were a factor in the crash. "Mass shootings, especially ones where the victims are children—get a lot of attention and they absolutely should," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. But we must also remember individual cases where children lose their lives through violence—no matter the instrumentality of death." Smith was later arrested on Detroit's Westside after police said he left Riverbank Drive in a four-door Mercury sedan and drove onto Belle Isle beach, striking the girls at 8:15 p.m. Monday night. Both girls were taken to a nearby hospital, where Saleh later died from her injuries. Her older sister was upgraded to stable condition, but as of Friday afternoon, officials said her condition worsened back to critical condition. Seventh grader Saleh and her family recently left war-torn Yemen and immigrated to the United States, where she attended Lowrey School in Dearborn. A vigil was planned for her in front of the school on Friday. Dearborn community leader and family friend Mohamed Sohoubah told the Detroit Free Press that Saleh's father has worked for years in the U.S. with the dreams of moving his family here from Yemen. He finally fulfilled that dream earlier this year. "To have her come here and have her eyes opened to America, and then for this to happen — it's a tragedy," Sohoubah told the Free Press. "The two daughters were good to their parents, very respectful. The father is a hardworking man, good to his family. He wanted to encourage his kids to go to school — just a responsible parent. It's devastating." Officials did not release any further information as Michigan State Police were still investigating the crash to determine if racing, road rage, intentional act, or a hate crime was involved.