A Texas mom died while helping a person on the side of the road.
Tayler Ross, 31, was riding in a Ford Explorer on March 29 around 1:20 a.m. local time when she saw a Ford Focus had been rear-ended, according to the Houston Police Department.
Ross exited the vehicle to check on the victim when a driver of a Mitsubishi Mirage “swerved to avoid a collision” and struck the Ford Focus and the concerned pedestrian, per police.
Paramedics from the Houston Fire Department responded to the scene and pronounced both the Ford Focus driver — who was identified as Mirtha Rodriguez Orgales Sai by ABC-13 — and Ross deceased.
Police stated that the Ford Focus was initially “struck from behind by a vehicle of unknown make and model,” adding that “the driver of the unknown vehicle did not stop and fled without stopping to provide assistance.”
We reached out to the Houston Police Department for additional information but did not immediately hear back.
Tayler Ross.
gofundme
A GoFundMe has been set up Ross’s honor, with the campaign organizer Tiffany Henderson writing, “Tayler’s courage in the face of danger speaks to the heart of who she was: a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend.”
The description continued, “Tayler’s heroic actions were a testament to her unwavering kindness and willingness to put others before herself. She leaves behind her precious 6-year-old daughter, who will now grow up without the guidance and love of her extraordinary mother.”
The fundraiser will support Ross’s daughter “as she navigates this difficult time and to assist with expenses and any future needs her family may have.”
“Thank you for your generosity and support during this heartbreaking time,” Henderson concluded. “Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.”
Ross’s father, Adam, spoke to KHOU 11 about the horrific incident, saying, “Multiple families have been affected by these actions.” As for the hit-and-run driver, he said, “I know right now, they’re probably scared, you know, and thinking it’s going to go away, but it’s not going to go away.”
KHOU 11 reported that Ross’s daughter was at a slumber party during the incident. The grieving dad said the young girl “has a big support system.”
Michele King, Ross’s mom, told ABC-13 that her daughter, who was delivering for Doordash with a friend at the time of the incident, asked her friend to pull over so she could check on the hit-and-run victim.
“She told her friend, ‘I have to make sure [there’s] no babies in that car,’ and she darted across the highway,” King told ABC-13. She added that she does not want the Mitsubishi driver to blame himself for the incident.
Per police, the Mitsubishi driver was taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries after crashing into the Ford Focus.
“I would hug him. I would hug him and hope that he doesn’t carry this burden for the rest of his life ’cause it was a total accident,” King said, per ABC-13.
