From WSBTV.COM:
ATLANTA — A woman accused of hitting a child and leaving the scene of the accident Monday night appeared before a judge Tuesday morning.
Cynthia Parham, 47, appeared before a magistrate judge Tuesday morning and the judge set bond at $12,000. Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Regan was in the courtroom when it came out that Parham had a previous hit-and-run conviction in 1983.
Police said Parham ran a red light and hit an 8-year-old boy as he crossed the Stone Hogan Connector in southwest Atlanta. Parham’s family spoke with Channel 2 Action News Monday and they said they were apologetic about what happened.
“As a whole, we never wanted anything to happen to the child. To the family, we apologize,” said Parham’s nephew, Anthony Morris. Witnesses said Parham ran through a red light, hit an 8-year-old boy in a crosswalk and didn’t stop. Officers found and impounded her white Chevrolet a short time after the crash.
Police said there was damage to the hood and the vehicle had a flat tire. Morris said Parham was rushing home to care for her ailing mother. “She made an honest human mistake and before she made it home, she was reporting what she had done,” said Morris. The boy suffered life-threatening injuries.
Police said after the impact he ended up underneath the car and was dragged for almost 150 feet. “I just don’t want it to be portrayed like she didn’t care about the little boy because she is distraught,” said Morris. The 8-year-old boy is in critical condition.
Parham was charged with hit-and-run, serious injury by vehicle, failure to obey traffic control device, and pedestrian right of way.
