Published
2 years agoon
Devan Nicole Elayda, a Fresno State student and TikTok star, was killed early Saturday morning in a hit-and-run on Highway 180 near Cedar Avenue.
Elayda, 23, was driving on Highway 180 when it is believed that she decided to exchange seats with a passenger, according to the California Highway Patrol.
An oncoming vehicle killed her when she exited the vehicle near the median at about 2:45 a.m. CHP officers pronounced Elayda dead at the scene.
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The suspected hit-and-run car is described as a silver 2017-2020 Lexus IS. The car should have damage to the driver’s side front bumper, fender, or hood.
Elayda, who is from Hollister, was a TikTok fashion and beauty influencer with more than 50,000 followers. She also had nearly 5,000 followers on Instagram.
Giselle Gutierrez organized a GoFundMe account to “help and support her family through this tragedy.” As of Monday morning, $6,120 had been donated toward the account’s $20,000 goal.
“She was loved by many and touched the hearts of each person she came around,” Gutierrez wrote.
Please consider donating, she was the sweetest person ever & genuinely good friend to me❤️ she deserved to keep living. https://t.co/kH5KXd2gdZ
— ???????? (@lisgvoii_1229) November 29, 2021
Anyone with information about the suspect vehicle is asked to contact the CHP at (559) 262-0400 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
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Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email
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