Peoria girl struck by a car on the road to recovery

“She’s moved mountains, I feel like, in the past week,” her family says.

PEORIA, Ariz. — A Peoria girl who was struck by a car while riding her bike is making a remarkable recovery after being rushed to the hospital in critical condition on the evening of March 20.

The 12-year-old, named Kloey, was stuck as she, her sister and some friends were riding their bikes near 67th Avenue and Jomax Road, her family told 12News.

She spent the first few days in the hospital fighting for her life. After a week and a half, her recovery is beginning to look optimistic.

“She’s better,” said Tiana Pierce, Kloey’s cousin. “She’s moved mountains, I feel like, in the past week. her recovery has been incredible.”

On Thursday, Kloey was finally strong enough to hug her family.

“Yeah, she jumped into her parents’ arms yesterday for the first time since it’s all happened,” Tiana said. “So, that was really, really cool to see.”

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Tiana and her sister Talia Pierce said Kloey is a sweet, caring girl who is active in her cheer team.

“She’s sassy, She’s funny. She loves clothes and shoes,” Tiana Pierce said. “She has a better skincare routine than 90% of the adults that I know.”

“She does TikTok dances and she loves her cheer team,” added Talia Pierce. “She loves to tumble, and she just loves makeup and all the things a 12-year-old should like to do.”

Peoria police said that neither speed nor impairment were factors in the collision. The driver stayed at the scene and won’t face any charges in the accident. The Pierces hope this can act as a reminder of the importance of a little extra caution.

“As a mom, because I have two babies, I think something really important to me is just creating that muscle memory of putting your helmet on before you get on any type of vehicle,” said Tiana Pierce. “Because it truly can save your life.”

“Yeah, especially during like the hours where the sun is going down or the sun’s coming up where it could be really hard to see a child or even an adult, just being very cautious around bike lanes,” warned Talia Pierce. “Just in general, I think as people we can just be more aware of what we’re looking at on the road.”

This situation has shown the Pierces how strong their family can be.

“I think it would be hard for any parent to be honest,” Tiana Pierce said. “But honestly, her parents, Justin and Trisha, have been handling this with such grace and strength. They’ve been by Kloey’s side every single second. And it’s admirable.

“She’s recovering. She’s getting all the help, all the love, and all the support that she needs and she’s heading in a really good direction,” she added.

Kloey’s church community has stepped up in a big way, offering support and an endless supply of stuffed animals for comfort, her family said.

Taina and Talia Pierce started a GoFundMe to help Kloey’s parents with the medical bills.