A Thousand Oaks High School employee was badly hurt when police say a 16-year-old driver hit her with his car and drove away.
Lisa Hernandez-Solis has a long road to recovery but has her loved ones by her side at the hospital.
The 16-year-old driver is still in police custody, facing a very serious charge because the Ventura County Sheriff's Office says his act was intentional.
"Tubes everywhere, she was intubated, her face has so much swelling," Carmelita Hernandez, the victim's sister, says.
Hernandez-Solis is very loved at Thousand Oaks High School, where she is the activities assistant.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Department says the 16-year-old boy grabbed cookies from a concession stand at a high school basketball game in Thousand Oaks and jumped in his car, with four other teens inside.
Witnesses say the victim stood in front of the car, trying to get the suspected thief to stop, but the teen plowed into her and then ran over her.
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"Not only just hit [her], hit [her] and continue to drive over a body," Vanessa Hernandez, the victim's sister, says.
The school employee suffered critical injuries: internal bleeding; punctures in both lungs; and a broken jaw.
Her sisters say she is unrecognizable in the hospital.
VCFD says the 16-year-old driver only had his license for one day and was arrested near his home in Newbury Park.
"We know right from wrong, yes and no," Carmelita Hernandez says. "He had a choice, and he made his choice. So now, he has to pay for that choice."
As Hernandez-Solis continues to recover, a massive outpouring of support has resulted in $36,000 dollars raised on a GoFundMe account to benefit her in only one day. If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe, you may do so here, but please note that GoFundMe takes a percentage of funds raised in the form of platform and other fees.
The teenage driver is facing the charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
