Emotional Vigil Remembers 17-Year-Old Girl Killed In Hyde Park Hit-And-Run
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A vigil was held Wednesday evening to honor the life of a 17-year-old girl who was fatally struck in a hit-and-run crash in Hyde Park.
ReAnna Goss, whose mom called her Annie, was struck by a vehicle about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday while crossing 48th Street. Goss was taken to a hospital, where she died.
By Wednesday morning, the driver had turned himself into police. He was identified by authorities as Jesus Palomares Jaime Jr. He was booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.
By evening, tears were shed for Goss and an ambulance had to be called for her older sister, who collapsed.
"He hit her and he left her here to die and that is so hard to deal with," Desiree Gill, the victim's mother, said at the vigil. "There was no comfort. It was just no comfort because she's not here."
Goss was scheduled to graduate in June. She was a senior at the City of Angels, a school in downtown Los Angeles.
Goss had just stepped off a bus and was on her way to a friend's house when she was hit while crossing the road.
"She was just a sweet girl. She was beautiful, and she was always smiling," said Chris Rhodes, a family friend.
Goss' family say they want a crosswalk or a stop sign on a stretch of 48th Street so her death is not in vain.
"What's the difference between a bullet and a speeding car? There is none. It's still a weapon," her mother said.
KCAL9's Andrea Fujii contacted the office of Councilman Bernard Parks to inquire about the possibility of getting a stop sign or a crosswalk. She was told they would look into it.
Meanwhile, the Goss family is accepting donations for funeral expenses. Click here for more information.