DETROIT, MI – A Michigan driver is facing charges after allegedly striking an 18-year-old girl riding her longboard with his vehicle and leaving her critically injured in the street. The incident, which occurred late at night on October 22, 2024, left the teenager in a catastrophic condition, with severe injuries that have altered her life.
James Lawrence Shaheen, 38, reportedly contacted authorities the following day, admitting to hitting Gabriella Golden with his 2003 Mini Cooper. Surveillance footage captured the sound of the crash around 11:20 p.m. and the sight of a Mini Cooper leaving the scene immediately afterward, according to police documents.
Golden was discovered five minutes after the incident by a passerby in the neighborhood, visibly injured, with blood covering her face. Witnesses gathered as additional drivers stopped to assist, later describing the scene with Golden’s shoe and shattered glass scattered across the road.
Emergency personnel rushed Golden to the hospital, where she was found to have sustained life-threatening injuries, including spinal damage, a dislocated shoulder, and trauma to her internal organs. Reports describe her as being in intense distress during the response.
Efforts to locate the suspected driver initially met with difficulty. Police traced ownership of Mini Coopers in the vicinity, leading them to Shaheen’s residence. However, their early morning visit found neither him nor the vehicle present. Within hours, Shaheen reached out to police, confessing over a call that fear drove him to flee the scene but expressing his desire to now face the consequences.
Statements later collected reveal that Shaheen was distracted by his dog when he swerved and hit Golden. Overwhelmed with panic, he reportedly departed without rendering aid. Subsequent communication with a police officer who knew Shaheen from a local gym corroborated his confession of the incident and panic-driven departure.
A follow-up visit by state troopers located Shaheen’s Mini Cooper concealed behind a barn near his residence, displaying significant front-end and windshield damage, along with traces of blood and hair. Shaheen allowed investigators access to the vehicle, openly cooperating with their inquiries.
Amidst this development, a GoFundMe page launched by Golden’s family details her continuing struggle. Following the crash, Golden remains paralyzed from the waist down, facing a lengthy rehabilitation process compounded by lingering physical ailments.
Shaheen has since been charged with failing to stop at the scene of a serious injury accident. After being arraigned on April 14, he posted a $15,000 bond on April 22. The legal proceedings will further unravel as both sides anticipate the next steps.