7-year-old girl spends birthday in hospital with broken pelvis after hit-and-run crash

HIGHGROVE, Calif. (KABC) -- A 7-year-old girl spent her birthday at a hospital recovering from a broken pelvis after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Riverside County.

Investigators hope a new surveillance image will help them catch the suspect, who was described as a white man in this 40s or 50s with a gray goatee and stocky build.

Authorities said the suspect was driving a red 1999-2009 Chevrolet utility truck northbound on Iowa Avenue, south of Villa Street, at approximately 45 mph when he struck Deasha Butts, who was trying to cross the street.

The driver fled the scene and was last seen turning west on Center Street from Iowa Avenue.

According to investigators, the suspect's car has storage compartments built into the quarter panels and a utility rack over the bed. The front bumper, rims and wheel covers all appear to be chrome, authorities said.

In addition to a broken pelvis, Deasha now has scars on 35 percent of her body, her mother told Eyewitness News.

She turned 7 years old on Tuesday and spent her birthday at Loma Linda Medical Center.

Her mother said Deasha, a first-grader at Highgrove Elementary School, will need long-term care for her recovery.

If you have any information about this incident, you're urged to contact the California Highway Patrol's Riverside office at (951) 637-8000.