CAR HITS, KILLS GIRL NEAR GRANT HIGH SCHOOL.

Byline: Blanca E. Cordova Daily News Staff Writer

As her fellow students watched in horror, a 16-year-old Grant High School student was hit and killed Friday afternoon as she crossed busy Oxnard Street, police and witnesses said.

Friends identified the victim as Inna Marutyan of Van Nuys.

``It was awful. I never lost a friend like that before. I can't believe I will never see her again,'' said Asmik Tantoushian, 16, a Grant student.

The victim had been crossing mid-block between Ethel Avenue and Coldwater Canyon Avenue - where there is no crosswalk or signal, police said.

She was hit at 3:10 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene in the 13000 block of Oxnard, police said.

The 18-year-old driver of the Jeep Wagoneer that hit the girl was interviewed by police, then released to her parents. Police said there was no indication that she was going excessively fast. She was not cited.

However, the investigation is continuing to see whether there was any criminal negligence on the part of the driver, said Detective Joseph Gomez of the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division.

The accident victim, who lived in an apartment across the street from the school, was walking toward her residence when she was hit.

Tantoushian witnessed the accident.

She said she was about to cross the street at the same spot, but stopped when she heard screams - apparently from people who saw the car approach the victim.

``. . . Then I saw the body fly and saw her lying on the ground, she said.

Another friend reacted with disbelief, noting the girl always had been cautious before.

``I know she used to use the lights,'' said Irina Ovakimian, 18, a friend of the girl.

``I can't believe she crossed the street like this. She was very careful.

She wouldn't do anything that was against the law. She looked like a girl who would do what her parents told her to.''

``I used to cross a street like that when I used to go to school. It's faster. It's just like taking shortcuts, I guess,'' she said.

``Our concern is educating the parents and school to teach the students where they are supposed to cross,'' said Gomez.

After the accident Friday, distraught family members leaned on a white car, crying as they looked at the girl's body.

Friends said the parents are of Russian-Armenian background and did not speak English. Friends said the girl was their only child and described them as being devastated by the death.

The girl's body was covered by a bloodstained white cloth and a white tennis shoe was next to her.

``Our hearts go out to the parents,'' said Grant Principal Eve H. Sherman. ``We're all family here.''

Thomas Phillips, 36, who lives in the same apartment building as the victim, said she will be missed.

``She was always happy, never saw her frown,'' Phillips said. ``If we were doing the laundry she'd bring yours if it was done. She was . . . (a) really nice little angel.''

Meanwhile, the accident prompted a fellow Grant student to start a petition drive to get a crosswalk at the spot where the student was killed.

Sara Henderson, 16, said 52 people signed the petition within five minutes.

VALLEY ENDING

Counselors from the school district were at the accident scene Friday, doing what they could to comfort students.

Officials said counseling teams will be on campus Monday to talk to students in the classes the victim attended.

FINAL ENDING

``I feel this is an unnecessary death because we need a crosswalk between Coldwater and Ethel. That's not too much to ask,'' Henderson said.

Counselors from the school district were at the accident scene Friday, doing what they could to comfort students.

Officials said counseling teams will be on campus Monday to talk to students in the classes the victim attended.

The counselors will talk with friends of the girl and teachers as well, district officials said.