Vigil held for Valley teen struck, killed while crossing street in Phoenix

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - A teenage girl was struck and killed while crossing the street in Phoenix on Friday and police have identified her.

Police say 19-year-old Daijanae Jones was walking across the middle of the street on North 35th Avenue near Lewis Street when a pickup truck hit her.

The accident happened on Friday night around 9:30 p.m. Police say an 18-year-old man was driving the GMC Sierra that hit Jones. The driver stayed behind but showed signs of impairment and may have been speeding. Medics rushed Jones to the hospital where she died.

Police stayed on the scene for several hours to investigate the fatal crash. Neighbors woke up to sirens and one man says his wife saw the victim's family arrive to a tragic scene.

"[My wife] heard a family come to the tape [and] just assumed they were a part of the person's family that got hit," said neighbor Arnold Coronado. "Yeah, they were distraught, and like I said, we didn't know what was going on. There's been accidents here, but not saying it's any worse than any other street."

Dozens of loved ones showed up on Saturday for 19-year-old Jones. Her family tells us she could have just been making a run to the store like she's done many times before.

Peachez Jones and the rest of her family are still stunned. Peachez said her neice had a personality out of this world.

"When I got the call, I was lost. I still am," Peachez said. "She had a smile that could light up a room. Dai Dai - everybody loved her. My brother will never hear his baby come home again - he's lost. Her mom [is] lost. Her sister, brothers, all her friends - everybody is lost. And now someone we love, an innocent person, is gone. She's never coming and [and] we're not gonna see her again."

We're told Daijanae had just graduated high school. As for the 18-year-old suspect, there's no update on where he will be charged or not.

The investigation is ongoing and charges have yet to be filed against the driver.