Driver Who Hit Student Sought By Police

SANTA ROSA, CA — A student was struck by a car Tuesday in a crosswalk near a Santa Rosa school and police are seeking the driver.

It happened around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday outside Comstock Middle School, 2750 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa police said.

The 13-year-old girl was crossing Guerneville Road at Marlow Road when she was hit by the car, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Patricia Seffens said. The "walk" indicator light was illuminated for pedestrians crossing north or south across Guerneville, and traffic for both east and west traveling vehicles was stopped at red lights, the sergeant said.

As the student began crossing the street, a white four-door sedan stopped at the solid red light for eastbound traffic and began a right-hand turn onto northbound Marlow Road.

"The driver of the sedan struck the student at a slow rate of speed causing the victim to fall to the ground," Seffens said. "The driver stopped his vehicle and assisted her to her feet then walked her to the sidewalk ... The driver then got back into his vehicle and quickly fled the area north on Marlow Road."

A witness called 911 and reported the incident.

The teen victim suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to an area hospital as a precaution. She is expected to make a full recovery, police said.

Accident investigators obtained security video footage from a nearby business and determined the white sedan pictured is the suspect’s vehicle.

The driver in the suspected hit and run is believed to be a Hispanic man in his late 20s or early 30s, with "scruffy" facial hair who was wearing a light pink T-shirt and dark-colored jeans.

Police asked anyone with information related to the investigation to contact Accident Investigator Carolina Zepeda at 707-543-3600 ext. 8576 or czepeda@srcity.org and reference case number 23-11509.