'My angel': Sacramento family remembers 9-year-old girl killed in hit-and-run crash

A Sacramento family is mourning the loss of 9-year-old Avianna Hill, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash while riding a minibike with her father Thursday night near 36th Street and 19th Avenue in Sacramento's Oak Park neighborhood. A memorial has been set up at the crash site, featuring notes from friends, stuffed animals, candles, and photos of Avianna. "She's my angel," Avianna's mother Bianca Carranza said. "She liked sports. She liked Roblox. She liked playing outside. She just liked to love.”Avianna’s grandmother described her as "the light of everybody's eyes.""She was so full of life and a good spirit," she said.Her family said she was confident, funny, and someone who loved to learn. "Avianna always said 'I love school. I want to go to school.' She was just really smart," her aunt, Michelle Carranza, said. "We're really going to miss her." Avianna’s father, Preston, remains in the ICU following the crash, according to family members. Sacramento Police said he was taken to the hospital Thursday night with serious injuries. "He is still trying to compute to his brain to what really happened," Preston's father said. "This is one of the hardest things that's ever happened to our family," said Avianna's grandmother Denise Carranza.A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with funeral costs and medical expenses. Sacramento police said the driver fled the scene. Authorities later identified 30-year-old Miracle Merritt as the suspect. Merritt was arrested on felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel