Friends and family mourned the loss of a 13-year-old girl who died Monday morning when she was hit by a truck driven by a Santa Ana Unified School District employee near a school.
Friends said Priscilla Vallejo rode her bike for the fun of it. They described her as a jokester, the type of teen who held others up even if she was down.
"She was the type of person who was fun to be around," said Jasmine Gutierrez, a friend. "She would focus on her studies, but she was fun to be with.
According to investigators she rode straight across Edinger Avenue, but the driver turned right and ran over her.
When police they arrived they found her off her bike, in the street, said Cmdr. Enrique Esparza, of the Santa Ana Police Department.
They gave her CPR, but when the medics arrived she was dead.
Witnesses say moments later the girl's mother arrived.
"I just saw the mother, very sad, walked to her daughter and saw everything that happened," said Cristela Gordillo, a witness.
Friends say Priscilla was not headed to summer school.
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She was about to start eighth grade at Spurgeon Intermediate.
Authorities say the truck driver was shaken but stopped as soon as he realized what happened.
"This is very sad," said Miguel Cervantes, a shop owner.
He thinks there should be crossing guards at this intersection during summer school hours.
Officials at Santa Ana Unified called the fatal accident "troubling" and say they are cooperating with the police investigation.
