Mother Of 6 Killed By Hit And Run Driver
DALLAS (CBSDFW) - Since moving with her family to the United States from Nigeria, Charity Orji had had a lot to smile about.
"They've accomplished so much since they've been here. They are hardworking people. The kids have gone to college. We have one that's in the US Navy," said Orji's sister-in-law Jeanne Martin.
The proud mom of 6 had just become a grandmother for the first time.
"She did get that opportunity to see her be born, but not to love on her," Martin said.
On Saturday night, the 55 year-old was celebrating her best friend's wedding. She and a group of wedding guests were making her way to the reception on Forest Lane, when a vehicle jumped the curb, hitting at least 2 pedestrians.
"[The vehicle] hit them! Just hit them, knocked them down and kept going. Didn't stop," Martin said.
Orji died at the hospital. Another pedestrian was seriously hurt.
All of it happened with Orji's 18-year-old daughter just a few steps away.
"She saw it all. She saw this person kill her mother," Martin said.
"When she saw the vehicle coming she jumped out of the way. If she hadn't done that. Lord knows if she would have been [hit]," she explained.
Martin says she'll take solace in a last text message Orji sent her the day before the wedding.
"It was a scripture John 3:16. I'm thankful that I have something that I can hold on to that tells me it's going to be ok," she said.
The family has started a GoFundMe account to help Orji's husband and children pay for funeral expenses.
They hope anyone with information will call Dallas Police.
"All that we want is to avoid this happening to anyone else's family. We want this person off the street. We forgive this person. We just want this person off the street.