Our hearts go out to a Mississippi mother-to-be who tragically lost her unborn child on the drive home from her baby shower. The fourth-grade teacher was eight months pregnant when her Honda Accord was struck by a hit-and-run driver.
According to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, Mashayla Harper was discovered lying on the roadway. She was quickly transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
James Gilbert, the driver of the car that struck Mashayla, fled the scene on foot and was later taken into custody by police. He has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident that caused death or injuries and is currently being held on a $100,000 bond. He later admitted that he had been drinking before the accident.
When asked by The Laurel-Leader Call, a local news outlet, why he ran away, James replied, “I was scared. I’m very sorry. I’m so sorry.”
According to her family, the young woman has undergone surgery at Forrest General Hospital and is awake, but remains in critical condition.
Mashayla’s father, Maurice Pruitt Sr., shared a heartfelt message on Facebook.
“To see our baby go from this being the happiest day of her life to I.C.U. in a matter of minutes was a complete tragedy,” he wrote. “That idiot hit her head on and left her out there on that road to die. We are grateful for the individual that happened to be in the area hunting to come to her aid, otherwise we may not be sitting in I.C.U. praying as she fights for her life.”
A GoFundMe page has been launched to help with the teacher’s medical bills.