Long Beach hit-and-run victim dies with her therapy dog at her side

In the same Long Beach hospital where she regularly volunteered with her rescued therapy dog, loved ones said hit-and-run victim Nikki Rash took her final breath with her Labrador Retriever, Gabby, right at her side.

Nikki, a 78-year-old Long Beach resident, died on Saturday, Jan. 4, from severe injuries that she sustained in a hit-and-run crash on Dec. 26 – and the suspect is still at large.

“The neck injury and brain injury she sustained, she was being kept alive on machines and so after 10 days we honored her health care directive,” said Nikki’s son, Chris Rash. “We let her go peacefully.”

Chris said his mother was only blocks away from her home in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood when she was T-boned by a driver who ran a red light.

According to the Long Beach Police Department’s report, officers responded around 4:45 p.m. to the intersection of California Avenue and San Antonio Drive on the day after Christmas.

Investigators found that after the crash, the male suspect briefly stepped out of his car, but quickly got back in and drove away. 

Officials have not released a suspect description, but his car is described as a tan-colored Toyota Avalon sedan. Surveillance video of the car showed notable front-end damage.

Police said that the victim, who family members identified as Nikki, declined medical treatment at the scene but transported herself to a medical facility a few hours after the crash.

“At that point in time, she was complaining of severe headache and neck pain,” said Chris. 

Chris told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo that when his family got to Nikki, she had no recollection of the collision after suffering a massive head injury.

The 78-year-old was in a coma after she underwent brain surgery and was placed on life support at Long Beach Memorial – one of the hospitals where Nikki’s former co-volunteer said she used to visit patients with her two rescue Labs, Dutch and Gabby.

“The nurses were very kind at the ICU,” said Andrew Lesser, president of Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue (SCLRR). “They gave special permission for Nikki’s service dog Gabby to visit with her.”

Lesser said losing Nikki will be a heavy blow to SCLRR, an organization she volunteered for since 2013.

“This shouldn’t have happened,” said Lesser. “Somebody needs to pay for this. Whoever did this needs to pay.”

Nikki’s family is asking for witnesses to come forward and help police with their investigation.

“We also ask that the person who did this step up and take ownership of what they did,” said Chris. “They made a mistake and they need to step up.”

Police ask anyone who witnessed the collision or has information on the suspect to call Long Beach police detective Ashley Van Holland at 562-570-7355.  

Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.