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Mother of seven fatally struck in hit-and-run on Atlanta street, suspect sought

By and
Updated  October 15, 2024 5:34pm EDT
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Mom of 7 killed in Atlanta hit-and-run

Atlanta police say someone struck and killed a mother of seven during the early morning hours on Lee Street in southwest Atlanta.

The Brief

    • Atlanta police are looking for the driver in a hit-and-run case that resulted in the death of Cherylnita Walker, a mother of seven.
    • Witness Marvin Pace, a longtime friend of the victim, saw the collision occur on Lee Street, describing a "loud boom" and the victim being thrown through the air.
    • The impact of the crash was so forceful that it disabled the fleeing driver's car, leading him to abandon the vehicle in the street and flee on foot.
    • The incident has deeply affected Juanques Brittian, the father of two of Walker’s children, who described her as having "a good heart" despite past issues.
    • The presence of several cameras in the vicinity gives Walker's family hope that video evidence may assist in identifying the hit-and-run driver.

ATLANTA - Atlanta police are searching for a hit-and-run vehicle that struck and killed a mother of seven near Avon Avenue and Lee Street on Tuesday morning.  

Witnesses say after the driver struck the 32-year-old mother, he jumped out of his car and started running down Lee Street.  

"Every time I sit down and close my eyes, it all comes back. I have cried so much. I can't cry no more, witness Marvin Pace said.  

Pace said the deadly image kept playing over and over in his head. 

He was actually on Lee Street near Arlington Avenue at 5:30 a.m. when he saw his long-time friend, Cherylnita Walker, arguing with her mother. 

"They were standing in the street arguing and all of a sudden we heard a loud boom. She went flying through the air. It happened so quick. The mother didn't even get it," Pace recalled. 

Pace says the impact was so powerful the driver's car stopped running. He couldn’t believe what happened next.  

"He stopped in the middle of the street because the car wouldn't go no more and pumped out and whew took off," Pace said. 

"He left his car in the middle of the street then took off running like he didn't really care," Pace explained.  

Possible fatality near Avon Ave., Lee Street

Atlanta police on the scene of a possible fatality near Avon Avenue and Lee Street Tuesday morning around 6:30 a.m. Breaking news.

The unexpected death has really hit Juanques Brittian hard. 

"I love her. I cared about her… her well-being," Brittian replied.  

Britain shares two children with Walker. 

"My kids' mother, my best friend. We had our problems and issues, but she had a good heart," the children's father said.  

Brittian says only one thing needs to happen now. 

"I just want him to turn himself in. It’s only right," the father concluded. 

There are several cameras in the area. Walker’s family is hopeful one of them captured some helpful evidence. 

The Source

  • FOX 5 Atlanta original reporting