School Mourns Loss Of Student Who Died After Being Struck In Crosswalk
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The Smoky Hill High School community is mourning the loss of a student who was hit by a vehicle while walking to school.
The family of Victoria "Tori" McKenzie told CBS4's Dillon Thomas their daughter was walking to class when a male driver hit her in the crosswalk at Quincy Avenue and Buckley Road. Aurora police confirmed the driver dragged McKenzie under his vehicle for more than a mile before coming to a stop.
The family believes the driver continued to drive until he pulled into his driveway, then noticed what had happened.
Police told CBS4 their investigation, as of the time of this publication, suggests McKenzie was legally in the crosswalk at the time of the collision.
The collision occurred on Jan. 11. McKenzie's mother told CBS4 she was able to speak to her daughter before she went into a coma.
Four days later, McKenzie died in a hospital. A memorial for her was held in Aurora soon after that.
McKenzie's family had recently moved to Colorado from Florida.
Aurora police said the suspect in the case was remorseful for his actions, and was "traumatized by what happened."
Smoky Hill administrators said the school provided counseling for students and staff who needed it.
If you would like to help the family, a GoFundMe page has been set up.