Relatives say 10-year-old Khaleb Jackson was crossing near Garden Walk with family when a car struck him and fled.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A 52-year-old man accused of driving away after fatally striking 10-year-old Khaleb Jackson on Riverdale Road remained jailed without bond Friday as classmates and neighbors placed flowers and candles near the intersection where the fourth grader was hit days earlier.
Clayton County police say witness accounts and a recorded license tag helped them locate the vehicle and arrest David Blanchard within hours of Sunday night’s collision near Garden Walk Boulevard. In a short first-appearance hearing, Magistrate Judge Betrice Scott said Blanchard would not receive bond at this stage. The case has galvanized Khaleb’s school community at Marshall Elementary and prompted fresh calls from residents to scrutinize traffic speeds and lighting along the busy corridor after the holiday break.
Family members said Khaleb was walking with his 14-year-old brother and two cousins when the vehicle struck him in the crosswalk area. His mother, Brandi Jackson, said the children tried to help while 911 was called, but rescuers could not save him. She described her son as a playful dancer who could “light up a room.” Neighbors gathered through the week at a small memorial of balloons, candles and a teddy bear near Garden Walk. School officials said grief counselors would be available when students return, and parents in the neighborhood organized a brief vigil as traffic streamed past at dusk.
Two witnesses who saw the impact told reporters they followed the car for roughly 30 minutes, reading the tag number to dispatchers while a cellphone camera rolled. “Why would you hit the little boy and keep going?” the woman can be heard saying on the video. Her husband said they trailed the vehicle along Fulton Industrial Boulevard and into the Bankhead area, staying on the phone with 911 until officers closed in. “Anything to help the family out for the little boy,” the man said. The pair asked not to be identified publicly, citing safety concerns, but said they felt compelled to stick with the car because they have children of their own.
Police later identified Blanchard as the suspected driver and booked him into the county jail on first-degree homicide by vehicle and hit-and-run. Investigators have not released a full crash report or stated the vehicle’s speed, and it was not immediately clear whether additional charges are being considered. Prosecutors said they are reviewing evidence gathered from the route described by the witnesses, including potential surveillance footage from businesses along Riverdale Road and Fulton Industrial Boulevard, and expect to add supplemental reports to the case file in the coming days.
The felony homicide-by-vehicle count will be presented to a Clayton County grand jury after the initial investigation and paperwork are complete, according to authorities familiar with the process. If a Superior Court judge later takes up bond, attorneys could argue over flight risk and community safety before setting a hearing date. No timetable has been announced for a preliminary hearing. Records indicate the arrest came quickly after the hit-and-run, aided by the witnesses’ tag information and follow-up by patrol officers who located the vehicle.
On the roadside memorial this week, classmates left handwritten notes alongside stuffed animals as drivers moved through the intersection. A neighbor who walks her children to a nearby bus stop said she hopes the boy’s name will be remembered when officials discuss improvements. The family thanked supporters and those who helped identify the car, saying the attention has brought them comfort in a difficult week.
As of Friday afternoon, Blanchard remained in the Clayton County jail as detectives gather statements and search for additional video. The next public update is expected when prosecutors file formal charges and a hearing is placed on the court calendar.
Author note: Last updated January 5, 2026.