Ayuen Leet, Worcester Girl Hit By Driver On Shrewsbury St., Remains In ICU

WORCESTER, MA — The 13-year-old hit and seriously injured Monday along Shrewsbury Street has been identified as Ayuen Leet, a 7th grader enrolled in African Community Education summer reading and schooling programs.

As of Wednesday, Leet was still in a coma at UMass Memorial, with friends and family closely watching her condition, according to community organizations.

“Members of the ACE staff and community have spent the past two days helping the family in any way we can while respecting their wishes for privacy,” ACE said Wednesday evening. “Ayuen is constantly walking around with a smile on her face and makes friends with everyone she meets. She is a hard worker, an honor roll student and incredibly kind.”

A fundraiser has been set up to assist Leet's family as they care for the teen.

According to police, Leet was crossing the four-lane road near the Boulevard Diner just before 4 p.m. Monday when a driver in a Buick hit her. She was taken to UMass Memorial with critical injuries, and was still in a coma at the hospital as of Wednesday, according to the Shrewsbury Neighborhood Support Team.

"Ayuen is still in a coma recovering from head trauma and doctors said it would be a few days before they can really assess her condition. She hasn't gotten worse, though, and that's a positive thing," the community group said in a Facebook update Wednesday.

Leet was the latest victim of a series of traffic violence incidents across Worcester this summer. Leet was hit about 1-1/2 miles from the spot along Belmont Street where Gianna Rose Simoncini, 13, died on June 27.

Worcester police said the driver who hit Leet stayed at the scene, but have not announced any details about the investigation into the collision.