A 14-year-old girl was hit by a car near a Riverside high school. (KABC)
By Leticia Juarez
Updated 32 mins ago
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- A 14-year-old girl was struck by a car while she was walking through a crosswalk in Riverside on Wednesday. Authorities said the driver fled the scene but was later detained.
The incident occurred near La Sierra and Cochran avenues around 7 a.m. The girl's backpack and shoes were strewn about at the scene, which is close to two schools, including La Sierra High School, where the girl was a student.
"She was in the middle of the street and there were two students trying to help her out of the way while oncoming cars were passing by," eyewitness Nicodemus Brito described.
Following the crash, the girl was taken by ambulance to Loma Linda University Medical Center in critical condition after suffering pelvic and internal injuries.
The girl's condition was later updated to stable.
Police said the driver stopped briefly then left the scene. She was later pulled over and detained.
"Our detectives and investigation officers are still trying to figure out if she was trying to beat a red light, or speed through the intersection or was just making a normal left turn," Ryan Railsback with the Riverside Police Department said.
Officials said they were also trying to determine if the girl was legally crossing the street.
Authorities said the driver was cooperating and that she was released pending further investigation.