Fifteen-year-old Amiya Gutierrez remained in intensive care as Riverside police searched for the driver who struck her near Poly High School.
RIVERSIDE, CA — A Riverside family is pleading for information after 15-year-old Amiya Gutierrez was critically injured in a hit-and-run while walking home from Poly High School, leaving police searching for a driver who fled after the collision.
The crash happened about 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, along Victoria Avenue, just north of the high school, according to the family and information provided by Riverside police to ABC7. Amiya was about one-third of a mile from the school when she was struck. Her family said she was crossing in a marked crosswalk at the time.
Amiya remained in intensive care at Riverside Community Hospital several days after the crash, according to her family. Her aunt, Gracie Gutierrez, said the teenager remained in critical condition and faced what the family expects will be a long recovery. Relatives said they were taking her condition minute by minute while hoping for signs of improvement.
Anita Gutierrez, Amiya’s mother, said her daughter was crossing the street when she was hit. According to the family’s account, the vehicle had been in a left-turn lane before striking Amiya and leaving the area. Authorities have not publicly identified the driver, and police have not released information establishing why the motorist fled.
The family obtained video that it says shows a beige-colored truck leaving the area after the crash. Riverside police Detective Steven Espinosa said investigators were continuing to search for the driver and noted that homes in the area may have surveillance or doorbell-camera recordings that could help identify the person involved.
Espinosa said police were seeking assistance as investigators worked to determine who was driving and why that person left the scene. No arrest had been announced as of Wednesday, and authorities had not publicly released the identity of a suspect. Additional details about the vehicle beyond the family’s description had not been confirmed.
Amiya’s relatives described her as a teenager whose smile brightens a room and said the circumstances of the crash have been especially painful because she had simply been walking home from school. Gracie Gutierrez said thousands of students make similar trips each day and described seeing her niece critically injured as heartbreaking.
Anita Gutierrez said she learned about the crash while she was at work, receiving a frantic call telling her that her daughter had been hit. The family has since focused on Amiya’s medical condition while also pressing for information that could help police locate the driver.
The Riverside Police Department’s investigation remained active Wednesday. Amiya’s family continued to hope for her recovery while investigators sought evidence that could identify the vehicle and its driver. No further information about the circumstances of the crash or possible charges had been publicly released.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.