Roseville man in court charged with drunk driving crash that killed a 7-year-old boy

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (FOX 2) – A horrific accident in Roseville left a child dead and the victim's five-year-old sister in critical condition.

The accident happened on Saturday, Nov. 9, and on Tuesday, the suspect accused of running a red light drunk made his first court appearance, where FOX 2 learned he wasn't going anywhere for an extended period of time would.

7-year-old Jerome Coleman Jr. was a young boy who died in a car accident at the intersection of Mound and Seven Mile streets.

Ahmad Jatta, 30, of Roseville, was the man police say was behind the wheel of the car that caused the accident.

“You were driving very fast and they saw you drinking from a bottle of Tito's vodka while you were driving,” said Chief Judge Jeffrey Kleparek.

Little Jerome Coleman wasn't the only victim; Two adults in their 20s suffered broken bones in their necks, ribs and backs as a result of the accident.

“And another minor, a 5-year-old, had a fractured skull and collarbone, required a blood transfusion and had to be intubated,” said Wayne Co. Assistant State's Attorney Lisa Coyle.

The five-year-old was Jerome's little sister. And as the defendant sat in court, he hung his head as he heard the extent of the damage caused on Saturday afternoon.

It is alleged that Jatta left the scene of the accident and went to his house, where his mother persuaded him to go back and surrender. According to police, the suspect had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 even two hours after the accident.

“The defendant had drunk vodka very quickly while driving and knowingly ignored the red light for him,” said Coyle.

On Monday, Jerome Coleman Sr., the victim's father, spoke to FOX 2 about this difficult loss.

“He was supposed to help me slow down my work vehicle,” Coleman said. “I got him his own tool kit, but we never got around to it.”

He told us that he had a conversation with his 7-year-old son the day before the accident.

“I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said a police officer. Because he wanted to catch the bad guys,” he said.

The defendant is being held on a $500,000 cash bond. Even if he is able to make that deposit, he will be attached to a GPS device and an alcohol cord.