Police are searching for a driver who struck a 23-year-old woman in a crosswalk last month and fled the scene, leaving her critically injured, authorities said.
Monserrat Jimenez was walking home from a BART station after work around 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 when she was hit by a vehicle. She was transported to a hospital as a Jane Doe, and her family was not notified until the following day.
After spending nearly a week on life support, Jimenez died last Thursday — just three days before her 24th birthday.
Antioch police said the driver ran a red light coming off Highway 4, struck Jimenez, hit a center median, and abandoned the Chevy Tahoe he was driving a few blocks away on Larkspur Drive. Investigators noted that speed was a factor in the collision.
Police have identified a suspect, an Antioch man captured on surveillance camera, but have not publicly released his name or made an arrest.
“We do have a person of interest,” said Antioch Police Officer James Desiderio. “A warrant has been authored for them, we are just working on trying to locate this individual.”
Jimenez’s cousin, Paulette Alcaraz, expressed anger and heartbreak over the hit-and-run, urging the driver to come forward.
“She didn’t deserve this, she didn’t deserve to be left in the middle of the road,” Alcaraz said. “Please turn yourself in. I can’t imagine that you are walking out there not feeling any guilt. You were aware of the situation, you impacted her to the point her body was completely damaged, we are talking about many broken bones.”
Family members said Jimenez was humble, loved to cook, and enjoyed listening to music. She was just weeks away from moving back home to Mexico and had already booked a ticket for the end of September.
“She made a comment saying, ‘I’m going to be poor here, I’m going to be poor there, I rather be with my family. My biggest fear is to die here alone,'” Alcaraz recalled. “She didn’t die alone, we were all with her.”
Alcaraz added that the family will cherish the time spent with Jimenez two weeks before the crash.
“That day there was something different about her, she had a spark, that day I think will live in my head forever,” Alcaraz said. “We smiled and unknowingly I think that was her goodbye.”
While police continue their search for the driver, Jimenez’s family has set up a GoFundMe account to help return her body to Mexico for burial. They are also finding comfort in knowing that Jimenez was an organ donor.
“She is not physically here with us anymore but we also know that her gift of life continues, and a lot of people get a second chance at living because of her,” Alcaraz said.
