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Kids & Family

Boy Clings To Life As Police Seek Driver Who Left Him For Dead

John Virgin calls on driver who critically injured his son to "make it right."

John Virgin fought back tears as he talked about his son Grant, who fights for his life at a Los Angeles area hospital.  

Sixteen-year old Grant Virgin was in Palm Desert and sustained injuries described as "horrific" by police.

Speaking during a press conference Friday, Virgin said his boy is “stable, and the orthopedic injuries and the high-risk injuries have been addressed.” During the ordeal, Grant's aorta was crushed, and injuries to his brain “are devastating,” Virgin said.

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The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is reaching out to residents across the region, asking for their help in finding the female driver who struck Grant and left him for dead.

The driver of the vehicle needs to come forward because "its the right thing to do," Virgin said. "I want her to know she changed a young man's life, and everybody he came in contact with, and everybody he'll ever know. J.J, Grant's mother, has no idea how a woman could hit a young man and leave him lying in the street. She can't understand how that's a possibility.

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"If it's an accident, it's an accident," Virgin continued. "You're going to have to look at yourself in the mirror every single day and know that you changed somebody's life. It's best to come forward and say, 'How do I make it right?'"

Palm Desert Police Captain Kevin Vest revealed that multiple witnesses saw the driver stop her car following the accident, and watched her get out to check for damage before driving away.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic female in her 30s, 5'6" tall, 150 pounds with shoulder-length black hair. The vehicle is a newer white sedan with substantial front end damage. 

Police urge anyone with information to call them at 760-8736-1600, and reference case #T 12 154 0079

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