Big Rig Runs Over Sisters, 12 and 14, On Their Way Middle School

LOS ANGELES, CA — A girl died, and her little sister is fighting for her life today after they were struck by a big rig as they walked to school in he Exposition Park area Thursday.

The driver apparently didn't realize he struck the children as they walked in a crosswalk, and another driver had to flag down the trucker to stop him, police said. The girls' middle school classmate witnessed the incident and held their hands, comforting them and encouraging them to hang on until help could arrive.

Marlene Lorenzo, 14, and her younger sister, Amy Lorenzo, 12, were crossing the street near 37th Street and Broadway about 8 a.m. Thursday when the big rig crashed into them, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The girls had a green light as they crossed the street, en route to nearby Clinton Middle School.

"They get sucked in underneath the truck, and another driver actually flags the driver and said `Hey, there's somebody underneath your truck,'" LAPD Detective Moises Castillo told ABC7.

Police are continuing to investigate the crash, and the driver has not been arrested. Investigators found no evidence that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash. Detectives will look at the driver's cell phone to determine if he was distracted at the time of the collision.

A friend of the sisters told investigators she witnessed the crash.

"She pretty much told us that she saw the driver looking down, so she's not sure if he was on the phone ... but he had his head down and she tried to get his attention to stop," Castillo said.

The friend ran to the scene and tried to help the girls, then called 911, he said.

"She actually grabbed her friend's hand and said, `Hang in there, you're going to be OK,"' Castillo said.

Crisis counselors were sent Friday morning to assist students at Clinton Middle School, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help the girls' family.

GoFundMe is a Patch Partner.

City News Service contributed to this report.