PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 63-year-old woman died after she was hit by a car driven by a Southridge High School student leaving the school parking lot Thursday night.
Police said the woman was walking with her bike with in between the bike path and the roadway. A police spokesman said based on what the driver and witness said, “there was nothing he could do to avoid striking her.”
Kimberly and Mayzar Shirzad heard the crash from their porch.
“We heard a loud bang like ‘boom,’” Kimberly told KOIN 6 News. “I saw something white [fly] across.”
Mayzar ran down and started CPR on the woman, until Kimberly, who had taken a CPR class, stepped in to try to breathe for her.
“We switched right away. I told myself, ‘It’s working, she’s alive,'” Kimberly said.
“Me and my wife do our best to bring her back to life,” Mayzar said.
The Shirzads came to the U.S. from Turkey in 2003 as Kurdish refuges, so they had seen many tragedies unfold and used that experience to help the woman.
An ambulance arrived about 6 minutes later but the woman’s injuries were too severe and she died. The couple said they hope they were of some comfort to her before she died.
“Christmas is close, you know, I wish we could help her more,” Mayzar said.
“I hope she knows she wasn’t alone and we all tried to help her,” Kimberly said.
The 17-year-old driver stayed at the scene and is cooperating with Beaverton police, who said it is not a criminal case. Witnesses said the teen was visibly shaken after the crash. Police said Friday there was no evidence the teen was speeding. Police also checked his phone and said there were no called or texts until after the collision.
The couple said the stretch of road where the woman was hit is very dark and it’s difficult to see.
“I’m sorry for her, honestly, and I’m sorry for him, too — that it happened to the young boy. I am so sad,” Mayzar said.
The name of the deceased woman will be released when family is notified.