High schooler suffers critical injuries in hit and run crash

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- 18-year-old Dezaray Dorsey, a senior at Clyde Miller Career Academy, has spent the last five days in the ICU at Barnes Jewish Hospital after a hit-and-run crash. Her mother, LaShanda Dorsey, has stayed by her side, holding vigil.

“My daughter’s fighting for her life, she’s in critical condition,” she said.

According to Dorsey, her daughter had dropped off a friend and was only a block from her house when her Pontiac G-6 was struck at the intersection of North Kingshighway and Bircher Avenue around 11:30 Sunday night. An eyewitness shared photos of the scene with Dorsey and told her what happened.

“The two cars were racing and hit her and left her there, with no remorse,” said Dorsey.

Dorsey said the witness told her that the occupants of a white Chrysler 300 that struck Dezaray got out and then entered another car and drove away. The car is registered to a 42-year old man with an address in Venice, Illinois. It’s unclear, however, who was driving it at the time.

The 18-year old suffered fractures to her neck, spine and pelvis and has undergone five surgeries in five days, according to Dorsey.

The fact that the accident happened on Kingshighway comes as no surprise. According to the Trailnet 2021 Crash Report, it’s a street with a high number of crashes, especially involving pedestrians.

Taylor March is director of policy at Trailnet.

“Kingshighway is one of the nine corridors that we found cause 46% of pedestrian fatalities within the city of St. Louis,” he said.

The Trailnet report said there were 178 people killed in traffic crashes last year in St. Louis and St. Louis County, and 14,000 injured.

Dezaray Dorsey was severely injured, but is improving. Her mother is asking anyone who knows those responsible for the hit-and-run accident to come forward.

“Please y’all step up. Y’all don’t know what she’s going through. She’s nothing but 18 years old. She did not deserve this, all she was doing was coming home,” she said.

News 4 requested surveillance video from the traffic cameras at the intersection but the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has not released any.

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