ATLANTA — An Atlanta mother is grieving after her daughter and her longtime boyfriend were killed in a crash – by one of the mom's supposed good friends who ran away from the scene.
Just after 3 a.m. on Saturday, Atlanta Police said the driver of a 2008 Dodge Durango was driving at a high rate of speed when she lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over several times on Campbellton Road SW in Atlanta.
The crash killed 10-year-old Janyla Henderson and her dad, 33-year-old Nicholas Jeffries. Janyla's mom and Jeffries' girlfriend, Evelyn Henderson, was also in the car at the time of the accident but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
"This is my first time back on the scene since I found them," Evelyn Henderson explained. "It’s so hard but seeing everybody here, seeing all the people; people I don’t even know people that just knew my baby, knew her father I just want to say thank everybody."
Police identified the driver in an incident report released to 11Alive as Zyria Sensley and said she fled the scene following the crash.
On Thursday evening, a vigil was held near the crash site out front of Greater Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church.
"Nick was my boyfriend 10 years --10 long years," Henderson said. "They were amazing, he was an awesome man."
At the vigil, Henderson gripped the last picture taken of her daughter, her fifth-grade school picture.
"That was my chocolate dream, now she’s my chocolate angel," she said. "She was such a sweet person."
Henderson said she and her family were at her brother's house on Friday for a game night. They left and she said the next thing she remembers is the vehicle rolling several times and ending up on the side of the road.
She said the driver, who Atlanta Police identified as Sensley, was supposed to be a good friend of hers, but now questions that friendship. Atlanta Police said Sensley left the scene after the crash and has not yet been found.
Henderson hopes she's found and brought to justice.
"Life is very short and you never know when God is going to call us home," she said.
The crash remains under investigation.
An online fundraiser has been set up in memory of 10-year-old Janyla Henderson and to help her family.