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Parents forgive driver in crash that killed infant

CHARLOTTE — The parents of an infant who was killed in a car accident on Old Statesville Road Tuesday told Channel 9 they forgive the driver police said is responsible.

Investigators said Thabiti Pierre-Louis had been drinking and speeding when he lost control of the car and struck a pole.
 
Six people were in the car, including 4-month-old Londyn Johnson. 
 
Investigators said the baby was sitting on her mother's lap in a back seat of the car when the crash happened. Londyn was ejected from the car on impact and killed when the vehicle flipped and landed on top of her, said police.
 
Pierre-Louis is now facing several charges.

Click here to read more about the accident.
 
"God said forgive and I forgive him," said Londyn's father.
 
Channel 9 talked with Londyn's parents at the scene of the accident where a growing memorial stands. 
 
They said Pierre-Louis made a mistake.
 
"He was like my best friend," said Londyn's father. "He would babysit her every day. He would never mean for something like this to happen. I hate to see a good person go through something like this."

IMAGES: Growing memorial for 4-month-old killed in crash
 
The grandmother of the infant told Eyewitness News that her daughters and the baby's mother were coming home from a nearby pool and picked up an extra passenger, so they decided to put the baby's car seat in the trunk.

"We all couldn't fit with the car seat in there so we just put her on our lap and we were literally, like, just two minutes away from the house," said Kuriyana Robinson, the little girl's aunt. "We were swerving.  He lost control of the car and I saw the pole, and he hit the pole and that's all I remember."

Police said Pierre-Louis had been drinking and they charged him with felony death by vehicle, reckless driving and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.   They also charged him with simple possession of marijuana.

No one was at Pierre-Louis's home Wednesday.  He is in the Mecklenburg County Jail with his first court appearance set for Thursday.

On Wednesday several people stopped by the memorial at the scene of the crash, including Angelina Mottola, who doesn't even know the family.

"I work down the street and I heard about this, and we have children so it meant something to us," Mottola said.

Nilka Holland does know them -- she lives several doors from the family and has seen their pain.

"The baby's father, the baby's mother -- beautiful people.  Innocent child -- sunshine, just born, 4 months old, went to be with the Lord. And no I don't have no words to express the pain after going through now," Holland said.