America’s Got Talent star Emily Gold dies aged 17 just weeks after appearing on show

Tragic news

The teenager made the quarter-finals of the popular talent show with her dance group Los Osos High School.

In their quarter-final performance last month, the dance team did multiple routines and even received a standing ovation from Simon Cowell.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Gold was found dead under a bridge on the eastbound 210 Highway in Rancho Cucamonga, California, around midnight on Friday.

Her death is being treated as a suspected suicide according to the San Bernardino Coroner's Office's death register.

Speaking to People, Rodrigo Jimenez from the local authority, said that "officers from the California Highway Patrol Rancho Cucamonga area responded to a pedestrian down in lanes."

He added: "When the officers arrived, they located a female, 17 year old, who was struck by at least one other vehicle in the carpool lane on eastbound 210.

"The female did succumb to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene."

In response to the tragedy, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help Gold's family pay for any expenses, raising $35,952 (£26,535) of its $50,000 (£37,831) so far.

Many people have paid tribute to the teenager, with her friend, Mia Bustamante, describing her as "such a light in my life" on Instagram.

Mia wrote: "My beautiful Goldie, words cannot describe how much I love you. Thinking of being without you breaks my heart. You will be so so missed beyond words.

"You have a way of making everyday so much brighter and brought smiles to everyone’s faces. You are such a light in my life and will be forever. You brought me the most beautiful form of love I could ask for.

"My best friend, my forever dance sister. I love you infinitely my Emmy."

Before Gold's dance team were eliminated from America’s Got Talent, Simon Cowell described their performance as "absolutely brilliant".

Previously speaking to People, Gold spoke about her time on the show.

She said: "When I’m performing, I’m really thinking about all the corrections because we get corrections up until five minutes before we go on stage.#

"So to really just think about all those so that we apply them is my biggest priority on stage."