16-year-old girl struck, killed while crossing street in South LA

LOS ANGELES (CNS / FOX 11) - A 16-year-old girl was struck and killed by a vehicle Monday while crossing a street in South Los Angeles on her way to school.

Whitney Rivas, a junior at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in the Westlake district, was hit about 6:30 a.m. on Broadway at 104th Street and died at the scene.

The teen was walking eastbound in a crosswalk, carrying a backpack with books inside, when she was struck by a southbound vehicle, which carried her body a short distance before coming to a stop.

"I was waiting for her at school at the same bench (where) we always meet, and she never showed up today,'' said Eduardo Castaneda, a fellow student who identified himself as the victim's boyfriend.

"I was waiting after lunch where we always meet and she wasn't there... until her mom called me and that's how I found out she passed away,'' the grief-stricken teen told reporters.

The motorist who called authorities and remained at the scene, was not cited or arrested, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, which continues to investigate the death.

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