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Inset left: Nafeeza Samad (Spalding County Sheriff’s Office). Inset right: Toddler named Hailey (GoFundMe). Background: Dundee Lake in Spalding County, Georgia (WSB/YouTube).
Authorities report that a woman allegedly drove her vehicle into a lake in Georgia while intoxicated, then climbed atop the submerged car before being rescued—leaving her goddaughter under the water.
Nafeeza Samad, 23, is facing multiple charges related to the incident, including driving under the influence, endangering a child while intoxicated, serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, and violations related to child safety seats, according to records from Spalding County.
According to officials, on August 10, an Acura TL sedan was observed speeding along Dundee Lake Road before entering the parking area of Dundee Lake. The vehicle did not slow down and hit large boulders serving as traffic barriers, as stated by the Georgia State Patrol to Law&Crime.
Following the collision, the car “launched” into a grassy area and ended up in the lake, situated about 40 miles from Atlanta. It’s alleged that Samad prioritized her own safety.
“The driver exited the car and stood on its roof; a 3-year-old child was left trapped in the submerged vehicle,” the agency reported.
Bystanders reportedly helped the driver off the car, but minutes passed with the vehicle — and thus the child, identified only by the name Hailey — still underwater. A Spalding County Sheriff’s Office deputy and Spalding County Fire Department lieutenant arrived at the scene and were informed about the dangerous situation.
“They swam out to the car, where they could see the bubbles coming up,” Spalding County Fire Chief Mike Byrd told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB. He said the fire lieutenant dove down into the water while the deputy held onto him “just in case he got in trouble because they had no equipment, no mask, they didn’t have anything.”
The firefighter did have a tool called a window punch, which he used to break the car window, and then he brought the child to safety. But still, the toddler’s chances of survival did not look great.
“The child was not breathing, [she] did not have a pulse,” Byrd said, adding that she was in full cardiac arrest. However, the first responders kept trying life-saving measures, and “they were able to revive the child on scene. They got a pulse back, the child started breathing on its own.”
Byrd believes the child could have been underwater for as long as six minutes. The 3-year-old girl was airlifted to a children’s hospital in Atlanta, and as of Wednesday, was still breathing, according to a GoFundMe set up by her mother. However, her road to recovery is set to be a difficult one.
“Doctors have confirmed that she sustained a severe brain injury,” the fundraiser states. “Right now, Hailey cannot talk, eat, or do anything on her own besides breathe. She will need extensive rehabilitation, medical care, and long-term support as she works to recover and rebuild her strength.”
According to WSB, Samad was the child’s godmother – and she was supposed to be taking the girl to get Pull-Ups, an effort in transitioning from diapers, when the crash occurred.
The child has reportedly been taken out of the children’s hospital’s intensive care unit, her mom said. She added that the crash was “caused by someone I trusted.”
“The car plunged into a lake in Spalding County, Georgia, and by the time first responders arrived, the vehicle was completely submerged with my baby trapped inside & the driver standing on top of the car not trying to help my child,” Tamika Whitson wrote.
“Despite the devil’s attempt to take her from us, my baby is proving to be stronger than anyone could imagine,” she added. “She is fighting with everything she has and I believe with time, prayers, and support, she will continue to defy the odds.”
As of Thursday, the case was still being investigated, led by the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRTD). Video of the car in the aftermath of the crash shows a shattered windshield, tires coated in mud, and the front bumper removed.