Riverside, CA - 15-Year-Old Poly High Student Critically Injured in Hit-and-Run While Walking Home From School

Riverside, California (September 4, 2026) - A 15-year-old girl was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash while walking home from Poly High School, and Riverside police are asking the public for help finding the driver.

The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. on September 4 along Victoria Avenue, just north of the high school. The teen was about a third of a mile from campus, according to her family.

Her family said she was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk when she was struck. According to the family's account, the driver was in a left-turn lane and fled the scene after hitting her.

The girl remains in intensive care at Riverside Community Hospital, her family said, and was still in critical condition four days after the crash.

The family obtained video that they say shows the driver leaving in a beige-colored truck. Riverside police said they are still searching for the driver. Riverside Police Det. Steven Espinosa said there are many homes in the area with doorbell cameras that can be reviewed, and asked the public to help identify the driver and find out why they fled.

The family is also urging drivers to slow down around schools, especially during arrival and dismissal.

This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.

Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accidents in Riverside, California

Leaving the scene of an injury crash is a crime under California Vehicle Code 20001. For the family, though, the criminal case is only half the picture. A civil claim for the girl's injuries can move forward whether or not the driver is ever caught.

If the driver is never found

Even when the at-fault driver has not been identified, a claim may be available under the family's own uninsured motorist coverage. In California, UM coverage applies to a hit-and-run when there is physical contact with the vehicle, and it can pay for a child's medical care, future treatment, and pain. Many families do not know this benefit exists until an attorney reads their policy.

If the driver is identified

• The driver's auto insurer becomes the primary source of recovery
• Flight from the scene is evidence a jury can weigh, and it can support punitive damages
• Any bar, employer, or vehicle owner connected to the truck may also be examined

The crosswalk question

Her family says she was in a marked crosswalk. If so, the driver turning left was required to yield under Vehicle Code 21950. Even if that were disputed, California's pure comparative fault rule means a pedestrian's claim is never eliminated, only adjusted.

What matters now

• See that every medical decision is documented, because a child's long-term prognosis drives the value of the claim
• Preserve the family's video and identify every Ring and business camera along Victoria Avenue before footage is overwritten
• Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer, including your own, before speaking with an attorney
• Injury claims must be filed within two years (CCP 335.1). For a minor, the clock generally does not start until she turns 18, but the uninsured motorist policy may impose its own much shorter notice requirement, so do not rely on the longer deadline. If any claim involves the City of Riverside over the crosswalk or school-zone conditions, a government claim must be filed by March 4, 2027.

Contact Our Southern California Hit-and-Run Attorneys

Parents sitting beside an ICU bed should not have to think about insurance policies and camera footage. Right now every hour is about their daughter, and the fear and anger over a driver who left her in the street are entirely justified.

Our Riverside County hit-and-run attorneys take on hit-and-run cases where the driver has not been found, starting with the family's own coverage so care is paid for while the search continues. Christian Contreras has recovered more than $30 million for clients in 2025 alone.

Doorbell and business camera systems along Victoria Avenue typically overwrite within days, and the family's video needs to be preserved in a form an investigator and a court can rely on.

You will never receive a bill from us, and we are paid only out of what we recover for your daughter.

Why Injured Clients Trust Christian Contreras Law

• $200M+ recovered for clients
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• Takes cases to trial with 7+ jury trials each year
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Let Us Handle the Search While You Stay With Her at (866) 836-6588

Legal Disclaimer

This page is attorney advertising and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Incident information is based on publicly available reports and may change as the investigation continues. The Law Offices of Christian Contreras is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any law enforcement or emergency response agency. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and no outcome is promised or implied.