Left: The Hyundai Sonata that pregnant Georgia teen Jaylah Donald was riding in with her mother when a drunk driver allegedly hit it and killed her (WANF/YouTube). Right: Jaylah Donald (GoFundMe/WXIA).
A tragic incident in Georgia has claimed the life of a pregnant woman following a devastating DUI collision. The accident occurred after her mother reversed out of a driveway in an unsafe manner and was subsequently hit by a drunk driver in a BMW, according to family members and local authorities.
The victim, identified as 19-year-old Jaylah Donald from Newton County, was described as a “loving soon-to-be mother” in a GoFundMe campaign set up in her memory. The campaign sorrowfully notes the loss of her unborn child in the crash.
“Jaylah was just taking her first steps into adulthood,” the campaign states. “She was vibrant, full of hope and dreams, eagerly anticipating the arrival of her first child. The sudden loss of both is an unimaginable heartache that no family should have to bear.”
The accident has led to charges against Jaylah’s mother, Takila Donald, who allegedly reversed improperly from a private driveway just before being hit on the passenger side by Brandon Robinson, the driver of the BMW. This information was detailed in a press release from the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
The press release stated, “Takila Donald was backing improperly from a private drive into Fairview Road and failed to yield upon entering the roadway,” leading to the collision with Robinson’s vehicle. The impact resulted in the death of Jaylah Donald, who was seated in the passenger seat, and her unborn child.
Following the crash, Takila Donald was airlifted to a nearby hospital with severe injuries and remains on a ventilator. Her family, speaking to NBC affiliate WXIA, expressed uncertainty about her recovery. Brandon Robinson also sustained multiple injuries in the accident and was hospitalized.
“Charges are pending for the drivers of both vehicles,” the release says.
Jaylah Donald’s grandmother, Genette Anderson, spoke to local TV station WANF about arriving on the scene to find the teen dead. She said their family was celebrating Thanksgiving together at a residence near Crestfield Circle in Newton County. Jaylah and Takila Donald were dropping off a neighbor who took part in the festivities.
“When I first got up there, I couldn’t breathe,” Anderson told WANF.
“My neighbor, the one that my daughter dropped off, he called me because what he did was, when she dropped him off, he went on in the house and they didn’t notice anything until they saw the ambulances and commotion out there, and then that’s when he called me,” Anderson said. “I got to be the strong person and accept it because I can’t question God, because at the end of the day, we’re all going to have our number.”
Jaylah Donald’s father, Jonathan Ponds, said he was looking forward to being a grandfather after first being told about her pregnancy hours earlier.
“It was crazy to find out that I was going to be a grandfather and then a couple hours later I lose my daughter and my grandson,” Ponds told WANF. “I was actually very ready to embrace the role.”
Robinson has so far been charged with a DUI, while the charges pending against Takila Donald were unknown as of Tuesday.
