WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – Community members gathered at Faith Wesleyan Church Sunday night to support a Livonia family devastated by a hit-and-run crash that killed a 3-year-old boy and left his mother in critical condition.
Tia Robinson remains in a medically induced coma after being hit while crossing the street with her 3-year-old twin children. Her son Khalil died from his injuries. Her daughter Khloe has since been released from the hospital.
“She’s actually moving her limbs and actually showing some type of recovery,” said Michael Robinson, Tia’s father, describing his daughter’s current condition.
He said Tia is continuing to make progress at St. Joseph Mercy Health System and is set to undergo a tracheostomy to help her breathe on her own.
The crash happened as the family was leaving the Livonia Spree. Police have charged Tammy Sandoval, 55, with multiple offenses including failure to stop at the scene of an accident while at fault causing death and serious injury.
“It’s hard to be here saying I’m going to miss him when I had a journey that I wanted to take with him and for him to be in my life forever – until it was my time. Not his time,” said Regina Robinson, the twins’ grandmother.
Livonia resident Frances Janis organized the prayer vigil despite having no personal connection to the family.
“I’ve had no end of people messaging me about what can they do, how can they help,” Janis said. “Just a lot of people that want to make sure they’re here to show their love and their sense of prayer to the family and let them know they’re there for them.”
Janis was also leaving the Livonia Spree when the crash happened.
“We saw numerous squad cars running down the street,” Janis said. “We just said a prayer and then we got home and went about our usual business, only to hear within about a half hour what had happened. My heart broke for that family.”
You can make a donation to the Robinson family through the Livonia First Responder Foundation.