HAZLETON -- Police are investigating the death of a woman in Hazleton after she was hit and killed by a pickup truck Monday morning.
Police say a 23-year-old man was driving the vehicle that hit and killed that elderly woman in Hazleton.
This deadly crash happened along East Walnut Street, near Fulton Court, just after 9 a.m. Monday.
The 79-year-old woman was found lying on the side of the road, her shoes knocked off her feet.
"I called 911, I was checking on her respirations was checking her pulse, stuff EMS is trained in," said Penny Moore.
Moore is a former first responder who just happened to be driving down Walnut Street with her mother. Although she tried to get help, the Luzerne County coroner's office said that 79-year-old woman was already dead.
Police say a 23-year-old man was driving the black pickup truck that is believed to have hit the elderly woman.
But Moore says when she found the body in the road neither the truck nor the driver was around.
"When I was on the phone with 911, the car did come back, but I was more concerned with the patient so I didn't even turn around to see who was there. I was just assuming it was somebody else to help."
While Moore and her mother are still a little shaken by what they found this morning, they want the victim's family to know they tried to help and she wasn't lying there alone for long.
"I'm sending my thoughts and prayers to the family. The person that hit her, I do feel for them, too. I'm glad they came back to the scene. It's just a sad thing to come upon."
"I don't know if, what to say except that, me too," said Betsy Polick of Freeland. "I send my prayers and condolences to the family."
Hazleton police say they are still investigating the crash.
So far, no charges have been filed.
The victim's name has not been released.
Anyone who may have seen the crash is asked to contact Hazleton police.
