DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A crowd gathered in Dearborn Friday to honor the life of a 12-year-old girl who was killed after a hit-and-run crash at Belle Isle Park on Memorial Day.
The victim has been identified as Ghadir Saleh. Her 14-year-old sister was also hit by the car and is recovering from her injuries.
The incident happened Monday after the suspect drove off Riverbank Drive and onto the beach, hitting the two girls.
The Dearborn community gathered Friday night at Lowrey Middle School, where Ghadir was remembered for her infectious smile. She had just enrolled in March but made friends fast when her family immigrated to the U.S. from Yemen.
Before the crash, spending Memorial Day at Belle Isle was a day Ghadir dreamed about.
"On the day that she was at the beach, she said... 'This is the best day of my life,'" Rima Younes, Lowrey Middle School's principal said at the vigil.
Ghadir died on Tuesday.
Also on Friday, the suspected driver, 23-year-old Alexander Armond Smith of Detroit, was arraigned. He was charged with one count of:
- Open murder
- Leaving the scene of a crash causing death
- Reckless driving causing serious impairment of a body function
- Leaving the scene of a crash causing serious impairment or death
Smith was denied bond. He has a probable cause hearing scheduled for June 14.
