Those who knew Amiah Shontae’ Kenney Jackson agree that she was a joy to be around.
“She was a beautiful soul,” her stepmother, D’Arrah Jackson, recalled of the 12-year-old. “She wanted everybody to love her.”
Family members say the seventh grader at Pinckneyville Middle School had many goals, including attending college, but her life was tragically cut short earlier this month.
“That was our only child,” Jackson said through tears. “And I swear I feel like my dreams turned into a nightmare.”
On Nov. 11, Jackson said she drove her wife, Amiah and Amiah’s emotional support dog to pick up their niece who had a flat tire near Winters Chapel Road in Doraville around 10 p.m.
Jackson said it was raining hard, and they all remained inside the car with the hazards and their seatbelts on. When they located their niece, they yelled for her to hurry inside the vehicle.
“She did not have her personal belongings together. So she was still scrambling around the car,” Jackson said. “While we are telling her to hurry up, before I know it, in a matter of seconds, a Range Rover pushed us from the access road over the median into the middle of (Ga. 141).”
After the violent crash, Jackson said Amiah was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, but she didn’t survive. Noah, Amiah’s puppy who would’ve turned 1 in December, was also killed.
“I need answers. I need answers,” Jackson repeated. “Justice for Amiah, please, because she didn’t deserve this.”
According to Jackson, the driver of the Range Rover ran away from the scene. She said the GBI is in the process of investigating the suspect’s car. AJC.com has reached out to the GBI and Georgia State Patrol for more information about the incident.
Jackson, who remembers the crash vividly, said the suspect has a tattoo on the side of his cheek and had his hair slicked back. She added that the man was wearing a tan shirt and cargo shorts.
The family is hoping the community can help them get justice. Jackson said they had to postpone Amiah’s funeral to Nov. 28 due to financial issues. They started a GoFundMe page to cover expenses.
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