Fight outside middle school ends with teen being run over

HOUSTON -- A 14-year-old girl, who was the victim of a hit-and-run after a Houston fight, in which she was involved, remains hospitalized, recovering from broken bones and internal injuries.

The school district stated through a spokesperson that the girl did not attend Cullen Middle School, where the fight occurred. The brawl made its way onto the school's track field late Friday afternoon. The girl had attended Cullen, but was transferred to a charter school. A relative said the transfer was because of fighting. The district also states no Cullen students were involved in the brawl.

Houston police continue to investigate the hit-and-run, in which a driver appears to intentionally hit the girl. Family members believe the driver is related to a girl involved in the fight with the victim.

The video of both the hit-and-run, which left another student with less-serious injuries, has spread across social media. It's not the first time fights from the neighborhood have been posted.

YouTube has several videos, one of which has disclaimer warning anyone under 18 not to view it. But a lot of kids watch the fights firsthand.

Tiffany Robinson says her daughter once participated in the girl fights.

"They're young and they got a lot of issues going on. In these apartments, everybody wants to see the drama," she said.

Not everybody. Ke-Nriyahna Maxwell says her younger family members aren't allowed outside by themselves.

"Even so, living in these projects, you're gonna see," she said.

The Houston school district stated that extra security patrols are being added around the neighborhood, and that officers and school staff will be looking for signs of dangerous behavior in students. Friday's fight and others said to be motivated by insults hurled between girls on social media.

The situation is not unique, but it's regarded as one of the most violent.

"That was totally out of hand -- I've never seen anything like that here before," said Marian Mouton, a grandparent who lives in the neighborhood.

Houston NAACP Education Chair Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz believes the school district should hold community meetings for parents to educate them about what their kids may be exposed to or involved in.

"You can't just look the other way. We have to do something because what's going on is systemic and it's going on everywhere. We need to address it," she said.

Meanwhile, the victim was preparing for her third surgery at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Police say she is in stable condition at this time.

In the cell phone video taken by an onlooker on La Salette near Yellowstone Park, a gray Dodge Avenger jumped the curb, sped several yards and ran over the 14-year-old girl. Her mother says her 10-year-old sister saw it all. She also says another student was injured in the fight, and one more was struck by the car.

Police now say the driver of the Avenger is an unknown black woman in her 20s. She had a passenger with her, police said, who they've been able to identify. The driver is wanted for felony aggravated assault. If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Aurelia Hunter, the mother of the victim, says she doesn't know the motive behind the fight, in which the combatants were all girls.