Education
Education

Driver charged after hitting, killing DeKalb Schools student, 8

Tluang Tha Men was hit by a car while walking to the bus. (Photo: WSBTV.com)
Tluang Tha Men was hit by a car while walking to the bus. (Photo: WSBTV.com)
By Marlon A. Walker
Feb 26, 2018

DeKalb County Police Department officials say a driver has been charged in connection with an accident that killed an 8-year-old girl on her way to school on Feb. 16.

Eligayheu Tsagaye is charged with first-degree homicide by vehicle, passing/overtaking a school bus and two counts of failure to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk. Tsagaye is not in custody, officials said.

Dawt Chin Sung was holding her daughter about 7 a.m. at the intersection of Rays Road and Central Drive in Stone Mountain when the two were hit. Tluang Tha Men died several hours after being hit. Sung was hospitalized following the accident with severe injuries.

A GoFundMe has collected more than $12,000 to help the young girl's family. It was started by someone connected to the International Community School, and mentioned that classmates there described her as "smart, funny, kind and a global citizen."

MYAJC.COM: REAL JOURNALISM. REAL LOCAL IMPACT.

The AJC's Marlon A. Walker keeps you updated on the latest happenings in metro Atlanta K-12 news and DeKalb County Schools. You'll find more on myAJC.com, including these stories:

Never miss a minute of what's happening in state and local education. Subscribe to myAJC.com.

In other DeKalb news:

A local business sustained serious damage after a driver lost control and crashed early Monday morning.

About the Author

Marlon A. Walker is an education reporter covering DeKalb County.

Follow Marlon A. Walker on facebookFollow Marlon A. Walker on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

People hold candles and sing during a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP)

Credit: AP

Georgia teachers on leave for Charlie Kirk social media posts

Cobb school employees join a growing list of people fired or suspended from jobs across the nation for allegedly inflammatory social media posts.

Atlanta HBCUs lift shelter-in-place order after threat

Clark Atlanta, Morris Brown, Morehouse and Spelman issued now-lifted shelter-in-place orders Thursday after a threat to CAU.

Perdue vows to protect universities’ ‘civil debate’ in wake of Kirk’s killing

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue issued a statement on the importance of free speech after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed.

The Latest

People hold candles and sing during a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP)

Credit: AP

Georgia teachers on leave for Charlie Kirk social media posts

Atlanta HBCUs lift shelter-in-place order after threat

Perdue vows to protect universities’ ‘civil debate’ in wake of Kirk’s killing

Featured

In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

A Braves fan took a ball to the face. The team may be liable, judges say.

The Atlanta Braves and former right fielder Jorge Soler face a lawsuit by a fan hit in the eye with a ball during a World Series game at Truist Park in 2021.

Joro spiders multiply across Georgia, spinning their pesky webs

The invasive species has multiplied rapidly in Atlanta in the last three years, research shows.

Ford settles billion-dollar Georgia lawsuits over fatal wrecks

Ford Motor Co. has settled two Georgia lawsuits that elicited record-setting jury verdicts of $1.7 billion and $2.5 billion, ending more than a decade of litigation.