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Good Samaritan says driver in deadly accident not being 'held accountable'

REDMOND, Wash. — Good Samaritans tried saving the woman who was struck at 2600 Crossing and 152nd Avenue Northeast in Redmond Friday night. But she died at the scene.

One person who stopped is accusing the driver who hit the victim of doing nothing to help.

In fact, that Good Samaritan says he never saw the driver at all. He is upset, and said he watched the woman die.

But Redmond police say as soon as the driver realized what he had done, he did come back.

"This is literally about a lady who was crossing the street just minding her own business and a person that hits her," said Jose Moreno of Issaquah.

The agony was audible in Moreno's voice, a day after he says he saw a woman lying in this intersection on 152nd Avenue Northeast after she was struck. He and another driver called 911, performed CPR with guidance from the operator.

But the woman was mortally wounded.

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"She had a big impact on the right side of her face," he said. "Unfortunately, she passed away."

He managed to take video once medics arrived.  The person he says he didn't see was the driver who hit the woman.

"Somebody hit another human," he said, "and you don't stop and think that, you know, perhaps you should come back and figure out if they need help?"

Moreno said he doesn't see how the driver could have hit the woman and not known.

"You know I can't speculate on what was happening in the mind of the driver," said Andrea Wolf-Buck, Redmond Police spokeswoman.

Wolf-Buck said by telephone the driver told police his vehicle is so large, he didn't know what he had done.

"It was a big, large moving van kind of vehicle," said Wolf-Buck.  "She was a small woman. And apparently he didn't realize that it happened. And what I believe happened is someone flagged him down. And then as soon as he realized what occurred, he came right back."

Moreno says that isn't good enough. He was asked what he would like to have happen because of the accident.

"I think people need to be held accountable for their actions," he said.

Redmond Police say he will be. They say while what happened Friday night was not a crime, the driver almost certainly will be issued a citation, likely a moving violation.

The driver, a 35-year-old man, showed no signs of impairment. Police investigators believe poor weather and low visibility caused the collision. It is not being treated as a criminal investigation.

The victim appeared to be in her 60s or 70s, and the medical examiner is working to identify her and notify her family.

The King County Medical Examiner could release the victim's identity early next week.