A 16-year-old high school volleyball player in Arizona has been left with a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a car while crossing the road, in an incident that has sparked a police search for the driver, who fled the scene. Jette Heldenbrand was hit by a dark grey Mazda in Tempe at around 10.30pm on Friday 4 September while on a crosswalk, leaving her fighting for her life in intensive care. The case has drawn strong community reaction, with family and friends describing her as a beloved, kind young woman and condemning the driver for leaving her injured at the scene.

Heldenbrand, a junior who plays for the Arizona Sky Volleyball Academy, suffered a severe brain injury, a broken arm and multiple cuts and bruises, and remains in the ICU at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. A witness who was on a bus leaving a volleyball game described seeing the collision and said she feared the teenager had been killed. Tempe Police believe the driver was in a dark grey four-door Mazda 3 that will show significant front-end damage, including to the headlamp and bumper, and are appealing for information. A GoFundMe set up by a family friend to support the Heldenbrands had raised more than $43,400 by Monday evening.