John Paul Raidy's Hit & Run Killer Resigns, Requests Psychiatric Help (Video)

The hit-and-run killer of six-year-old John Paul Raidy, who is a seventh grade social studies teacher in Grand Prairie, Texas, has resigned from her job. This is probably the most relief that the Grand Prairie community will get from this horrible situation. It is traumatic enough when the brutal death of a young child rocks a community, but for local parents, the idea that the woman who ran down a small child, fled the scene and took five days to come forward might be teaching their children would make it truly unbearable. 53-year-old Tammy Lowe offered her handwritten resignation to her principal on Tuesday, and surrendered to police hours later. Lowe is refusing to answer detectives' further questions, but did state that she will be seeking psychiatric treatment. She was charged with a felony: failure to stop and render aid, and she spent Tuesday night in jail awaiting a $100,000 bond payment that she was unable to pay upfront.

Little John Paul Raidy was crossing the street last Thursday, January 24th, with his mother and baby sister. Tammy Lowe ran a red light according to police surveillance footage (which indicates that the light had been red for a full fourteen seconds), and struck John Raidy, who was then carried 100 yards on the hood of her car before falling off and hitting the pavement. He died that same day at Arlington Memorial Hospital after being rushed there by ambulance. Lowe's 2008 black Toyota Yaris has been towed to the police station to be searched for evidence after authorities established a warrant.

Colleagues in the Grand Prairie school district, where Lowe has been employed since 1996, reported that she was absent from work on Friday, and exhibited strange behavior on Monday. Neighbors reported multiple cars and activity at her home on Saturday, and neighbor Ashley Mitchell said that there were so many cars that she could barely get out of her own driveway. What those people knew and when they knew it remains to be seen, but it certainly seems like a bizarre time to throw a party.

The heartbroken Raidy family is, as to be expected, primarily stunned by the fact that it was a teacher who killed this child and just drove away from the scene. John Raidy's great-uncle, Mark Raidy, told media: "[...] when we found out she was a teacher, it was disbelief. I guess you could say she actually was heartless. Somebody who teaches and works with kids, and to do this and not come forward sooner? It's unspeakable." The family plans to hold a funeral service Wednesday afternoon.

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