'They thought she was dead': Georgia police identify driver who fled after hitting 9-year-old

Georgia police believe they have identified the driver who hit a 9-year-old girl while she was playing in her yard.

The male suspect, who has not been identified, will face charges of hit and run, failure to maintain lane, a stop sign violation, serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving, DeKalb County Police said in a press release Tuesday.

The charges stem from an incident captured Friday on surveillance video. A black 2017 Ford Fusion can be seen speeding down the street before crashing into LaDerihanna Holmes and a friend. The driver and a passenger flee the scene while others run to help the girls, the video shows.

“It was cold. It was very cold,” Charlette Bolton, LaDerihanna’s mother, said at a news conference. “I know they thought she was dead.”

Police have not revealed how the suspected driver obtained the car, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The owner of the car told investigators she was at work during the crash and her boyfriend was driving the vehicle, the newspaper reported.

The family’s attorney, L. Chris Stewart, shared the video on Twitter asking those responsible to turn themselves in.

“There is no explanation on how my client is alive,” he said on Twitter. “I sat with her and can’t believe my eyes and though her road to health will be long, she’s alive.”

Holmes suffered multiple injuries including a skull fracture and a broken pelvis, according to police. Her friend, Alayshia Phillips, 11, sustained a foot injury.

A GoFundMe set up for the family has raised more than $41,000 to help with her medical expenses. Bolton told CNN her daughter is trying to stay positive while she recovers.

"She's in a lot of pain, but she's in good spirits," her mother said. "She's a strong little girl. She's talking, she's laughing, she's joking."

Hit-and-run: Woman in custody after crash that killed Tennessee police officer

'Horrific' crash: $125 million lawsuit against Weather Channel for 'horrific' crash that killed 3 during a 2017 tornado chase

Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg