14-year-old injured in hit-and-run dies at Cobb hospital; driver arrested

A 14-year-old critically injured in a hit-and-run near a Cobb County neighborhood Tuesday afternoon has died, police said Thursday.

The teenager, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at WellStar Kennestone Hospital. Police have identified a Marietta woman as the driver in the deadly collision.

Marva Payton, 51, lives within a half-mile of where the teen was struck, near the entrance to the Crosswinds subdivision on Cunningham Road near Crosswinds Circle.

Video surveillance from a nearby home and the Dairy Queen on Powder Springs Road placed a dark sedan in the area before and after the 14-year-old was hit. Investigators were initially unable to determine the make and model of the vehicle due to limited evidence at the scene, Melton said.

Investigators searching the area Wednesday found a black 2013 Honda Accord with damage consistent with a pedestrian collision, according to Cobb County police spokeswoman Officer Sydney Melton. Payton was found to be the vehicle’s owner.

Payton was arrested on a felony charge of hit-and-run and taken to the Cobb County jail. Her bond was set at $100,000.

This article was written by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution