Driver Purposely Struck Camden Woman In Deadly Hit-And-Run: Court Docs

CAMDEN, NJ — A driver "deliberately" drove onto the grass and struck a woman in a deadly hit-and-run last week in Camden, according to documents Patch obtained. Minutes before, the suspect picked her children up from school.

Ajee Williams was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the death of Carla Mahan. The victim, a single mother of three, succumbed to her injuries shortly after Williams struck her and fled the scene Wednesday afternoon, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office (CCPO).

Williams, 30, of Camden, turned herself in on Saturday. The affidavit of probable cause sheds new light on the incident that killed Mahan, a 41-year-old Camden resident.

Surveillance footage showed that a gray Dodge Durango, registered to Williams, stopped near the intersection of South 7th and Tulip streets on Wednesday afternoon. Mahan briefly approached the SUV before walking toward a nearby grassy lot, according to the affidavit.

The vehicle reversed and then drove forward over the curb and into the grassy lot, the affidavit says. The footage does not show whether the SUV hit Mahan, but first responders found Mahan lying injured in that location.

At 3:21 p.m. Wednesday, a 911 caller reported a woman getting struck near the intersection by a gray Dodge SUV that fled the scene. Emergency responders found Mahan in the lot and took her to Cooper University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:04 p.m. that day.

It's unclear whether authorities have established a motive, or whether Williams and Mahan knew each other. A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office declined to answer further questions about the case, saying that it remains under investigation.

Minutes before the deadly hit-and-run, surveillance footage shows a woman picking up two children from school in the Durango, authorities said. The affidavit doesn't identify Williams as the driver but says that Williams's children attend the school.

It's unclear whether any children were present during the incident.

The Durango approached the scene of the crash at about 3:09 p.m. Wednesday and was seen driving away 4 minutes later, the affidavit says. Detectives found that the vehicle was registered to Williams.

Authorities found the SUV at a home linked to the suspect and towed it away. They found human tissue underneath the car, the affidavit says.

Mahan's family established a GoFundMe to cover the victim's funeral expenses and aid her children.

"Carla was a loving, dedicated mother to her three young children," the GoFundMe says. "She was a bright light in our lives, always willing to lend a helping hand. Her loss has left a void in our hearts that can never be filled."