BEAVERTON, Ore. — A lone vase of flowers sits at the corner of Southwest Hall and Farmington in Beaverton, at the intersection where a woman was hit and killed while crossing the street Tuesday morning.
"It's very sad," said Beaverton resident Jenny Kahn. "It's very heartbreaking. I'm sure if she has family, it's a very painful thing to go through, to lose anyone."
Just as devastated by what investigators are classifying as a hit-and-run is Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty.
"The first thing that went through my mind is it could've been my mom," Beaty said.
Mayor Beaty spoke to KGW from Washington D.C. She happened to be there working to secure funding to upgrade roads in Beaverton. Among the priorities is an area called "The Loop." The southeast corner of that area is where the pedestrian was killed.
"We have city-owned roads, county-owned roads, ODOT-controlled highways," Beaty said. "We have a rail line, MAX line. We have a very complex transportation system happening."
Mayor Beaty said the sidewalks are unsafe and inconsistent as well.
"We had a strong push to fix this road before and now we have a clear message that change needs to happen," she said.
It is a sentiment echoed by people who frequent downtown Beaverton.
"It's just not pedestrian friendly," Kahn said. "I think cars go really fast."
The observation carries a little more weight in the wake of the deadly hit and run. Investigators are not saying much about the case aside from releasing some photos of a vehicle of interest they later found. Detectives say the driver is cooperating.
"It's just a sad situation," Kahn said. "Hopefully this doesn't happen to anyone else."
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Beaverton Police Department.