A quiet early morning in Lawrenceville turned tragic Friday when a 3-year-old boy was struck and killed in a hit-and-run after police say he slipped out of his family’s apartment. Officers later found the child lying in the roadway on Winder Highway, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators later detained a man they say was involved in the crash.
According to the family’s GoFundMe, the child was identified as Maxence, remembered as “a bright light in the lives of his family, full of curiosity, laughter, and a joy that filled every room he entered.” The fundraiser, launched May 1, states that donations will go toward funeral costs and related expenses.
WSB‑TV reports that Lawrenceville officers first responded to a missing child call around 5:13 a.m. at an apartment complex on East Crogan Street. Not long after, they found the boy on Winder Highway near Stanley Court, where he was later pronounced dead. Investigators say they identified a blue 2008 Honda CR‑V as the suspect vehicle and tracked it to a nearby warehouse, where the driver had allegedly continued working after the collision. Police arrested 67-year-old Rohitbhai Patel of Snellville and charged him with felony hit-and-run and second-degree vehicular homicide.
Neighbors say speeding has been a problem for years
Residents told WSB‑TV that drivers regularly tear through that stretch of Winder Highway and that worries about pedestrian safety are nothing new. “They don’t stop for pedestrians,” one neighbor said, while others described the boy’s death as something that could have been prevented.
Hit-and-run crashes are on the rise nationwide
National data show the heartbreak on Winder Highway is part of a wider trend. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that hit-and-run crashes made up roughly 15% of police-reported collisions in 2023, a record high, with pedestrians representing a significant share of those victims. The Governors Highway Safety Association adds that about one in four pedestrian deaths involves a driver who flees the scene, a pattern that aligns with the AAA findings.
What the Georgia charges mean
Under Georgia law, leaving the scene of a crash that results in injury or death can be prosecuted as a felony hit-and-run under O.C.G.A. § 40‑6‑270, according to Justia. Homicide by vehicle is addressed in O.C.G.A. § 40‑6‑393, per Justia. Together, those statutes give prosecutors authority to seek substantial penalties when a crash causes a death and the driver does not stop or render aid.
The family’s fundraiser remains active and has drawn dozens of donations, according to GoFundMe. Police say the investigation is ongoing as the case moves through the Gwinnett County legal system.
