Pregnant Teacher Loses Baby After Car Crash On The Way Home From Her Baby Shower

We can’t even imagine what this woman is going through right now.

Tragedy struck a pregnant Mississippi teacher when she lost her unborn child after she was hit by a driver on the way home from her baby shower.

According to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, Mashayla Harper (above) was discovered lying along the roadway in Soso after her Honda Accord was struck head-on by a hit-and-run driver in a 2005 Nissan Titan at just before 6 p.m. local time Saturday. The fourth grade teacher was eight months pregnant.

Sgt. J.D. Carter told local news outlets that the driver, James Gilbert, fled the scene on foot. Hours later, sheriff Joe Berlin called up the 33-year-old’s wife and convinced her to contact Gilbert and allow officials to take him into custody.

The driver has been charged with fleeing the scene of an accident that caused death or injuries and is being held on a $100,000 bond; both the charge and bond can go up depending on his blood test results.

Sgt. Carter said in a statement that Gilbert confessed he had been drinking before getting behind the wheel. As for why he left the scene, the man told local outlet The Laurel-Leader Call:

“I was scared. I’m very sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Harper’s family told Sgt. Carter that she’s awake but in critical condition at Forrest General Medical Center, where she underwent surgery after being transferred from South Central Regional Medical Center.

The teacher’s father, Maurice Pruitt Sr., updated her friends and family with a heartbreaking message on Facebook, complete with photos from her baby shower hours before the fatal accident. He wrote:

“To see our baby go from this being the happiest day if her life to I.C.U. in a matter of minutes was a complete tragedy. That idiot hit her head on and left her out there on that road to die. We are grateful for the individual that happened to be in the area hunting to come to her aid, otherwise we may not be sitting in I.C.U. praying as she fight for her life. And it really touched me when I read Laurel Leader Call post and how the Soso community jumped into action spreading the word about the man being in the area on foot…some even going out looking for him. Thanks to everyone that’s praying and has called to check on the status of Mashayla Harper… She’s a very strong woman and she continue[s] to fight for her life.”

Harper’s loved ones have been supporting her through a GoFundMe page that was launched Tuesday to help pay for her medical bills.

Our hearts go out to Harper and her family at this devastating time.

[Image via Facebook]