SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old girl was struck by a car near Torrey Pines High School, her parents are speaking out for the first time about her painful recovery and pleading for help in the ongoing investigation.
The crash happened after a football game at Torrey Pines High School when the teenager was crossing the street with her friends. Surveillance video shows a car suddenly accelerating into her, knocking her to the ground and barely missing her head before speeding away.
"What we can't comprehend is how someone so carelessly could disregard her life," said the girl's mom, Emma who asked that her last name not be used.
The emotional toll on the family is evident as they struggle to process what happened to their daughter.
"I can't imagine the weight that carries for this wonderful group of young women. The fear, the anxiety, and the shattering of their sense of safety is undeniable," Emma said.
The teenager is still recovering from a concussion sustained in the crash. Her parents said she just returned to school Wednesday after missing nearly two weeks.
The normally active teen can no longer participate in activities she loves, including surfing and flag football. She has also dropped one of her Advanced Placement classes and continues to have nightmares about the experience.
"It is clear to us this is only the beginning of a long and painful road to recovery for our daughter," her parents said.
San Diego police said the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made. Police said the driver could face charges of hit-and-run.
The family's attorney Michael Goldfaden said detectives have interviewed the driver, described as a teenage boy who knows the girls.
"People in the community — if anyone has any information please come forward, so we can decide and help the district attorney's office decide — to what extent this was intentional," Goldfaden said.
The crash has left the family and community grappling with uncertainty and a changed sense of safety.
"Life has changed since last Friday. It's very hard to think anything like that could happen," Emma said.
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