A 12-year-old girl died of her injuries and a friend was critically injured when a large, white truck hit the two in Midland and then took off, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
The critically injured girl, also 12, was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, said Sgt. Darren Moss, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Department.
Around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the two friends were walking along the side of 104th Street East in Midland, south of Tacoma. The stretch has a 35 mph speed limit. They were struck by the truck traveling east, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
“They were walking against traffic the way they are supposed to,” Moss said.
Moss said it was clear that the truck ran off the road and went into the ditch, but it was not clear if hitting the ditch caused the truck to hit the girls or if they were struck before the truck entered the ditch.
“I think they were going to the store,” Moss said.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spent Saturday looking for the suspected vehicle and driver. It shared a photo of the vehicle on Twitter and Facebook and asked the public to call with any information. On Saturday night, the department tweeted that the truck had been recovered, but did not say where or under what circumstances or if the suspected driver was found with the truck. The tweet said, “Deputies will continue to work on identifying the driver.”
To share relevant information with the Sheriff’s Department, contact the nonemergency line at 253-287-4455.