Family of 7-year-old child killed in suspected drunk driving accident speaks out

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Last Saturday, a suspected drunk driver crashed into two vehicles at the corner of 7 Mile and Mound, killing 7-year-old Jerome Coleman Jr. was killed.

EXTENDED INTERVIEW: Family of 7-year-old killed in suspected drunken accident speaks out

EXTENDED INTERVIEW: Family of 7-year-old killed in suspected drunken accident speaks out

Police say the 25-year-old driver, who does not live in Detroit, initially fled but was arrested when he returned to the scene two hours later with his blood alcohol level reaching double digits on a breathalyzer test.

But Junior’s aunt, Jawyna Griffin, says no matter what happens now, her nephew will never come back.

“My whole family, we are traumatized, nothing prepared me for the images I have in my head. I can’t close my eyes,” Jawyna said.

This security footage shows the crash. You can see the white car heading west on 7 Mile, jumping the red light and hitting the two vehicles.

We stopped the footage just before impact, but Jawyna says her twin sister, Tawyna’s vehicle flipped on its side.

ADDITIONAL VIDEO: Viewer video from the accident scene

“I saw my niece lying on the ground unconscious, my other nephew was in shock, and my baby was just laying there, my nephew lifeless,” Jawyna said.

There were three other children in the car. Jawyna tells me that her five-year-old niece, Kiaree, has a brain injury due to a skull fracture. Her 21-year-old nephew De-mari and 23-year-old niece LaCresha both suffered neck and spinal injuries as a result of the crash.

“LaCresha has been released from the hospital. De-mari has just been transferred from intensive care to a regular room. And Kiaree, they had to intubate her, they took out all her tubes this morning. So hopefully, fingers crossed and prayers she will be able to leave the intensive care unit today,” Jawyna said.

“To say they will be traumatized is an understatement,” asked 7 News Detroit reporter Faraz Javed.

“Yes, we now have to find out how life will go without him because a drunk driver decided to get behind the wheel,” Jawyna said.

“Life will never be the same for you,” Faraz asked.

“It will never be the same. This is his best friend. He told me yesterday he wanted a Bible so he could communicate with his cousin,” Jawyna said.

“The fact that the driver came back and surrendered, doesn’t that give you some peace of mind?” Faraz asked.

“Not really, no! What he did was unforgivable. Tell him you took the life of a seven-year-old boy who had a whole life left to live. He liked to climb trees, he fished a lot. to take things apart and put them together. The last time I saw him, he said, Auntie, look what I did?! He took apart a whole fan and put it back together, at 7 o’clock,” said Jawyna.

A candlelight vigil is planned this Saturday at 7 Mile and Mound, where Junior was killed. The family has also set up a GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/jerome-coleman-jr

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