7-year-old killed when man ‘drinking from a bottle of Tito’s’ runs red light, MI cops say
A 30-year-old man sped through a red light, crashing into a family’s car and killing a 7-year-old boy, Michigan prosecutors and local news outlets reported.
“You were driving really fast, and they saw you drinking from a bottle of Tito’s Vodka while you were driving the vehicle,” Jeffrey Kleparek, chief magistrate of the the 36th District Court, said during the man’s appearance in court, according to WJBK.
Ahmad Jatta fled the scene of the Nov. 9 crash as the 7-year-old boy lay dead next to his family’s car in Detroit, Wayne County prosecutors said in a Nov. 12 news release. The boy’s 5-year-old sister and 21-year-old and 23-year-old siblings were also hurt, according to prosecutors and a GoFundMe set up by the family.
Two hours later, after Jatta was convinced by his mother, he turned himself in, police told WJBK. His blood alcohol content was 0.13 when he returned, police said, according to the news outlet.
The legal BAC for a person over age 21 in Michigan is 0.08, according to the state.
Four counts of operating while intoxicated causing death were filed against Jatta on Nov. 12, according to court records. He’s held in jail on a $500,000 bond.
His attorney information is not listed.
As Jatta’s case in court proceeds, the family of 7-year-old Jerome Coleman mourns the loss.
“He was a bright light at the age of 7,” the family wrote in a GoFundMe. “He was full of love and very intelligent with a personality that reminded you of an old soul. He was full of life, a big protector of his 5-year-old sister, a cool little brother and he loved fishing carrying the title of one of the best young fishermen you could ever meet. He never met a person who didn’t fall in love with him.”
Jerome’s 5-year-old sister suffered a skull fracture and clavicle fracture, according to WJBK. She also needed a blood transfusion and to be intubated.
Jatta is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 14.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 1:01 PM with the headline "7-year-old killed when man ‘drinking from a bottle of Tito’s’ runs red light, MI cops say."
