A woman who claims she was the hit-and-run driver who injured a young girl turned herself in on Monday, according to police.
Last Tuesday, 9-year-old Aijahnae Johnson was riding her bike near her home on the 4000 block of Merion Avenue in West Philadelphia. As she tried to cross the street, she was struck by a car which quickly left the scene.
A witness drove after the hit-and-run vehicle but was unable to stop it. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.
On Monday police say a woman who has not yet been identified admitted to the hit-and-run and turned herself in to authorities. Her attorney, Michael Giampietro, spoke to NBC 10.
“She’s extremely upset and she’s extremely remorseful about what happened,” said Giampietro. “She saw the little girl on the bike. She braked and steered to the left to avoid any contact. The child appears to have hopped off the bike and there was contact.”
Johnson suffered non-life threatening injuries to her body and forehead. She continues to recover. Her mother , Petrina Newman, reacted to the news of the woman turning herself in.
“That was the right thing to do,” said Petrina. “I know it’s hard sometimes when a lot of things are going on. And I’m not saying that she meant to hit my child but at the same time, she’s still a kid. She should have stopped.”
The woman was not charged on Monday since no one was at the District Attorney’s Office due to the holiday. She is expected to be charged on Tuesday.
