Victims ID’d in Clayton crash that killed pregnant mom, son
A pregnant woman and a child were among those killed early Sunday in Clayton County when their car was hit head-on by another driver who was driving away from police, officials said.
Lashad Lewis was driving with his pregnant fiancé Brandy Gilkey, her son, 8-year-old Christian McDonald, and their dog Goliath on Ga. 138 in a small SUV when they were hit head-on by a Ford F-150 pickup truck, according to a GoFundMe page set up on the family’s behalf. All of the occupants were taken to the hospital, where Gilkey, her unborn baby and her son later died.
Lewis was taken to the hospital in critical condition but survived, Clayton police said. Authorities said Lewis was stable Friday but did not provide further details on his condition. It is not clear if the dog was injured.
The driver of the F-150 also died at the scene, officials said. He was later identified as Michael Jerome Morris.
Police were initially called to the intersection of Ga. 138 and West Fayetteville Road just after 1:30 a.m. to respond to a “person down” call, Clayton police spokeswoman Sgt. Julia Isaac said. When they arrived, they found Morris slumped over the wheel of his pickup truck.
“They knocked on the window attempting to wake the male,” she said. “The male woke in a confused state and sped off down Highway 138.”
It is not clear if police pursued the man after he drove away.
Soon after, Clayton police received another call reporting a crash with injuries about a mile and a half away on Ga. 138, Isaac said. The crash involved the same F-150 that police had encountered just moments earlier.
When officers arrived at the intersection of Ga. 138 and Scott Road, they found the fatal crash, Isaac said.
According to the GoFundMe page created for the family, Lewis suffered severe whiplash and required surgery for a broken leg and broken ribs. The fundraiser has set a goal of $150,000 to help with Lewis’ medical care and recovery, ongoing bills and to pay for the funerals of Gilkey and her son.
An investigation is ongoing.
About the Authors
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
