Jaylah Donald Obituary, Death; – A 19-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child tragically lost their lives following a car accident involving a suspected intoxicated driver near Atlanta.
On Friday, November 28, Jaylah Donald was traveling in a vehicle with her mother, Takila Donald, when another car collided with the passenger side of theirs as they were exiting a driveway shortly after midnight local time on Fairview Road in Covington.
“On 11/28/2025 at 12:34 am, Troopers were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident resulting in a fatality on Fairview Road near Crestfield Circle,” stated the Georgia Department of Public Safety in a release to PEOPLE. “Upon arrival, the investigation revealed that a black Hyundai Sonata was improperly backing out from a private drive onto Fairview Road. A BMW was proceeding west on Fairview Road. The driver of the Hyundai failed to yield while entering the roadway and backed out incorrectly.”
The statement further elaborated, “The BMW collided with the Hyundai on its passenger side. The passenger of the Hyundai was pronounced dead at the scene and was confirmed to be pregnant. The driver of the Hyundai was airlifted to Grady Hospital. The driver of the BMW reported injuries and was found to be under the influence of alcohol.”
Authorities noted that the investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Jaylah, who occupied the passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her unborn son, for whom she was seven months pregnant, also perished. Takila is currently in critical condition at Grady Memorial Hospital.
In a statement to PEOPLE, law enforcement identified the BMW driver as Brandon Robinson. While it is alleged that Robinson was driving while intoxicated, charges are still pending against both drivers.
“When I first arrived at the scene, I was unable to breathe, for one thing,” Jaylah’s grandmother, Genette Anderson, recounted to Atlanta News First. Anderson had been celebrating Thanksgiving with her family when Jaylah and Takila departed to drop off a neighbor.
“My neighbor, the one my daughter dropped off, called me because after she dropped him off, he went inside the house and they didn’t realize anything until they sa
Jaylah had planned to go to college after the birth of her son and had only told her father that she was pregnant a few hours before the crash.
“It was crazy to find out that I was going to be a grandfather and then a couple hours later I lose my daughter and my grandson,” Jaylah’s father, Jonathan Ponds, told Atlanta News First. “I was actually very ready to embrace the role.”
