Teenager killed in hit-and-run, driver charged
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Denise Torres, 42, hit 17-year-old Ruby Martinez with her car Friday evening. She left the scene, but returned a short time later. She was arrested and charged with felony hit-and-run.
Web Producer: Rikki Mitchell, Taylor Higgins
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - A teenage pedestrian was hit by a car Friday night on the southwest side near I-19, and later died.
Deputies responded to a call about a person down in the intersection of west Nebraska Street and south San Joaquin Avenue just before 6:30 p.m. Friday, according to Deputy Renee Carlson with the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
Once on scene, deputies discovered 17-year-old Ruby Martinez lying on the ground.
Carlson tells KGUN9 that Martinez was unresponsive and had obvious signs of trauma.
Deputies took measures to save Martinez life until paramedics arrived. The teenager was transported to the hospital with life-threatning injuries but died Saturday.
During the initial investigation, deputies found evidence suggesting Martinez was struck by a vehicle, but the vehicle was not present when deputies arrived on scene.
Moments later, the driver of the vehicle, 42-year-old Denise Torres, returned to the scene, Carlson said.
Torres told deputies she was driving westbound on Nebraska Street and saw something in the roadway. Torres said she knew she struck whatever was in the road, but left and went home without knowing what she had hit, according to Carlson.
Torres said that after speaking to family members, she decided to return to the scene.
Torres was arrested and charged with felony hit-and-run for leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury.
The investigation is still ongoing.
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