7-year-old hit, killed on busy Clayton County highway raises concerns among parents in the area

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga — Investigators are desperately looking for leads regarding the deadly hit-and-run of a 7-year-old girl.

It happened early Sunday morning on Tara Boulevard at Southside Commercial Parkway in Jonesboro. Investigators believe the child was struck sometime between 2:15 a.m. and 2:30 a.m.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2’s Elizabeth Rawlins talked with parents near the area who are shocked by this incident.

The four lane highway is busy area with not only drivers but also pedestrians, Channel 2 Action News spoke to a couple of families who take advantage of the sidewalks on either side of the road.

“It’s very busy – you have to be very careful,” Kenyonna Foster said. “There’s a section where there’s not really a side walk and cars come around pretty fast.”

TRENDING STORIES:

• Deputy stabbed multiple times by detainee at Fulton County Jail, sheriff confirms
• “We woke up to a power outage”: Severe flooding, State of emergency in Chattooga, Floyd counties
• Woman unloading groceries catches Peeping Tom at her Clayton County apartment, police say

There remains so many questions unanswered, including whether the child was on the sidewalk and when it happened.

It’s also unclear why the girl was walking so late at night or where she was going.

“Honestly unless you have an emergency, there’s no reason to go, not at 2am and a 7-year-old,” Valeria Ogles told Channel 2.

Investigators believe she may have come from a nearby hotel.

Channel 2 Action News attempted to track down the woman the child may have been staying with but no one answered the door. Rawlins was able to talk to the hotel manager at Magnolia Bay. but they declined to comment.

The child’s identity has not yet been released and as of Monday morning investigators told us, they still don’t have any leads on the driver.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Flooding hits north Georgia hard on Sunday

©2022 Cox Media Group