A Michigan man allegedly hit a teenage girl riding a longboard, leaving her “screaming in pain” in the middle of the road.
James Lawrence Shaheen, 38, contacted police the day after allegedly hitting 18-year-old Gabriella Golden with his 2003 Mini Cooper.
A police report obtained by local NBC affiliate WDIV states that Golden was riding her longboard on the night of October 22, 2024. Surveillance cameras in the area detected an audible crash at 11:20 p.m., followed by an image of a Mini Cooper driving through the area.
According to the report, someone driving through the neighborhood discovered Golden about five minutes later. She was allegedly found in the middle of the road, her face covered in blood.
According to WDIV, another driver passed through the area and checked on Golden as more people gathered to see what was going on. Witnesses reported seeing Golden’s Adidas sneaker and glass on the road.
When first responders arrived, they stated that Golden was “screaming in pain.” Medical personnel informed police that her injuries were critical, including a severe spine injury, a dislocated shoulder, and injuries to her liver, spleen, and carotid artery.
The driver of the car that allegedly struck Golden was nowhere to be found when police arrived on the scene. However, a search for owners of Mini Coopers in the area revealed Shaheen’s name.
At 1:43 a.m., state troopers went to Shaheen’s home about two miles from the crash site, but he was not there, and they only saw a Buick sedan, not a Mini Cooper. According to the police report, one of the troopers who made the visit returned to Shaheen’s home about an hour later and reported that the Buick was no longer present.
On the afternoon of October 23, 2024, Shaheen called the police and reported that he thought he had hit someone with his car.
According to WDIV, the cadet who received the call stated in writing that Shaheen “told me that last night he was involved in a crash in which he struck a pedestrian and fled the scene.” [Shaheen] told me he fled the scene because he was afraid, but he called because he wanted to do the right thing and turn himself in.” Shaheen admitted in the statement that he was driving a Mini Cooper at the time of the crash.
According to the report, Shaheen informed police that he planned to cooperate with the investigation. According to WDIV, Shaheen called a police chief from another department with whom he had previously trained at the gym. The unnamed chief provided a written statement to Michigan State Police.
In that statement, the chief stated that Shaheen informed him that “he believed he may have hit someone on a skateboard.” [Shaheen] claimed to have been petting his dog when he crossed the center line and collided with the skateboarder. [Shaheen] said he had a panic attack and fled the scene. [Shaheen] stated that he wanted to do the right thing now that he had time to reflect on what had happened.
The chief stated that Shaheen’s voice was “shaking” during their phone conversation.
A Michigan state trooper then went to Shaheen’s home to look for the Mini Cooper, which Shaheen claimed was hidden in a “graveyard” behind a barn nearby. When the trooper asked if he could look at the car, Shaheen replied, “Absolutely.”
According to the report, a “shaken up” Shaheen and the trooper conversed while the latter looked at the car. Shaheen admitted she should not have left the scene. I thought I had done the worst. He explained, “I was like, ‘OK, assess this like an adult.'” This is how things stand right now. This is what we need to do,’ so I began taking action, and here we are. I didn’t want you to think you had to come hunt me down.”
According to the report, Shaheen inquired whether Golden “was OK.” The trooper informed him that she was alive, to which Shaheen replied, “Good,” and “Thank you so much.”
When the trooper and a sheriff’s deputy discovered the Mini Cooper, they noted “obvious damage to the front end, windshield, and roof.” The report stated that the windshield was “caved in,” with “three long strands of hair” visible. Blood was also found on several parts of the car.
According to a GoFundMe page started by Golden’s family, she “sustained a paralyzing injury” and was placed in a medically induced coma after the crash.
WDIV followed up with Golden’s family during her recovery, reporting that the teen is now in a wheelchair and remains paralyzed from the waist down. She reportedly still has “deeply embedded shards of glass” in her skin, as well as a piece of metal in her abdomen, which doctors believe is too dangerous to remove.
Shaheen was charged on April 14 with one count of failing to stop at the scene of a serious personal injury accident. He was booked and posted a $15,000 surety bond on April 22, but it is unclear when he was first arrested.
