A grieving San Diego County father is offering a $10,000 reward to help find the driver who hit and killed his daughter on a freeway over the weekend.
Ripley Vaughn struggled to hold back tears Tuesday as he described his 21-year-old daughter Noelle Alexandria Vaughn, a nanny who was fatally run over on Interstate 5 near the Aliso Creek rest stop in Oceanside.
“She shouldn't have had to die like this,” said Ripley. “I'm just trying to get closure for her so everybody is held accountable for their actions.”
He told NBC 7 that his daughter went to the barracks at Camp Pendleton at about 10 p.m. Saturday to visit four Marine friends.
Investigators believe they may have argued before she left without her car, phone and purse.
At about 1 a.m., witnesses saw Noelle acting incoherently, running back and forth over the freeway lanes not far from the base. Shortly after, an unknown driver hit Noelle and took off, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Jim Bettencourt.
Ripley shared his theory on what she was running from.
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“My opinion is that I think they may have drugged her, and she panicked and ran, and they wouldn't let her have their phone,” he said.
It is too early to say if drugs or alcohol were involved, Bettencourt said, and a toxicology report from the medical examiner’s office will take some time.
Investigators do not believe the Marines were involved in her death. As soon as she left, the service members told their commanding officer about Noelle and searched for her before they found out she died, according to Bettencourt.
The CHP is only investigating who was driving the vehicle that killed her. They are looking for a dark-colored Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country van that may have the right mirror missing and/or right, front bumper damage.
“No parent should have to go through this, especially burying a young girl who is as beautiful as she is,” said Ripley.
He called his daughter a "young minded" but sweet and tender woman. Noelle was a former Sunday school teacher who most recently worked as a nanny to special needs children. She was planning on going back to college to finish her degree in the fall.
NBC 7 tried to reach out to one of the Marines who were with Noelle, but he declined to comment.
