Hoquiam police are investigating a hit-and-run where a teenager was severely injured Thursday morning by a driver who fled the scene.

The crash occurred just after 7:30 a.m., said Officer Ryan Pearson of the Hoquiam Police Department.

“We responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian hit-and-run at Marion and Perry Street,” Pearson said in an interview. “There was a high school age, 17-year-old, female, who was laying in the roadway when we got there.”

Several witnesses saw the crash. The vehicle was described as an older-model minivan, of an indeterminate light color, said Chief Joe Strong.

“It appears she was struck in the crosswalk,” Pearson said. “Witnesses say the vehicle that struck her pulled over in the shoulder, looked, and then drove away.”

The teenager was transported by the Hoquiam Fire Department to Harbor Regional Health for severe injuries.

“Officers are continuing to canvas the areas and search for investigative leads to identify the suspect vehicle,” Strong said.

While being involved in a crash can lead to a traffic citation, fleeing the scene of crash like this is a felony offense, Strong said. Officers are currently seeking to identify the suspect vehicle.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.