Fourth Of July Hit-And-Run Kills 17-Year-Old Girl

WOODLAND (CBS13) - A 17-year-old was killed by a hit-and-run driver while her cousin witnessed the crime, and had no way to save her.

California Highway Patrol says it's a bizarre case where two people left a 17-year-old to die in the middle of northbound Interstate 5 in Woodland. The first person driving in her car hit and killed the teen. The second person was a friend who took off after she was hit.

The victim, her cousin, and a friend got in an argument on the road on Thursday. The car pulled over, and the 17-year-old got out of the car. Her cousin then tried to calm her down.

"When she walks into the roadway, he's following behind her," said CHP Sgt. Brent Shultz.

That's when another car sideswiped her and took off. The teen's friend then jumped into the driver's seat and left the victim and her cousin stranded.

Eventually the teen's cousin was able to flag down a passing car.

"There's a lot of questions in our mind about what transpired and why this friend wouldn't stay and give us a statement," said Shultz.

CHP officials believe they know who the friend is, but haven't found her. As for the woman who hit the teen, investigators say they only know it was a car that hit the teen, not an SUV or truck.

CHP is in the process of looking through surveillance video from the companies along Interstate 5 to see if they can identify the make and model of the car involved in the hit-and-run.