Kids & Family
Father of Injured Palm Desert Teen Speaks Out
John Virgin calls on driver that critically injured his son to "make it right"
John Virgin fought back tears as he talked about his son Grant, who fights for his life at a Los Angeles area hospital.
16-year old Grant Virgin was hit by a motorist Monday night in Palm Desert and sustained injuries that were described as "horrific" by police.
Grant’s father said the young man was “stable, and the orthopedic injuries and the high risk injuries had been addressed.”
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The older Virgin said that Grant’s aorta had been crushed in the accident, and that 90% of the people that sustain that specific injury die on the ground before even getting to a hospital. He said injuries to Grant’s brain “are devastating” and that doctors are faced with a difficult choice: doing heart surgery on Grant would require a drug that could compromise Grant’s brain, leading to death.
“[But] If they can’t get the aorta fixed,” Virgin explained, “you can’t go on and treat the brain injury.. and we’ve lost a son.
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Virgin went on to say said the driver of the vehicle needs to come forward because "its the right thing to do."
"I want her to the she changed a young man's life, and everybody he came in contact with, and everybody he'll ever know," Virgin said. "J.J, Grant's mother, has no idea how a woman could hit a young man and leave him lying in the street. she can't understand how that's a possibility."
"If it's an accident, it's an accident... You're going to have to look at yourself in the mirror every single day and know that you changed somebody's life. It's best to come forward and say 'how do I make it right?'."
Palm Desert Police Captain Kevin Vest revealed that multiple witnesses saw the driver stop her car following the accident, and watched her get out of the car and check for damage before driving away.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic female in her 30s, 5'6" tall, 150 pounds with shoulder length black hair. The vehicle is a newer white sedan with substantial front end damage.
Police urge anyone with information to call them at 760-8736-1600, reference case #T 12 154 0079
